F0717 Social Simulation

Social simulation deals with the study, modelling and simulation, usually with the use of a computer, of social systems and phenomena. The course offers an introduction to some important themes in this area, exploring models of ratial segregation, diffusion of information and fads, cooperation and altruism, civil violence and riots, traffic behaviour and tax evasion. The discussion of the papers will be followed by hands-on simulation of the model to understand the main drivers and suggest possible policy implications. The code to run will be provided but no programming knowledge is required. The computer is used as a simple and cheap way to perform social experiments and visualize results that might be hard to get by other means. The students will be asked to read and present a paper related to the topics discussed during the lecture (see list below).

No specific knowledge is assumed, some interest in social issues, modelling and simulation is welcome (but will be hopefully ignited anyway).