Technoscape: multi-agent model for evolution of network of cities, joined by production and trade links

Kurakin P.V.
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The paper presents agent-based model for city formation named Technoscape which is both local and nonlocal. Technoscape can, to a certain degree, be also assumed as a model for emergence of global economy. The current version of the model implements very simple way of agents’ behavior and interaction, still the model provides rather interesting spatio-temporal patterns.

Locality and non-locality mean here the spatial features of the way the agents interact with each other and with geographical space upon which the evolution takes place. Technoscape agent is some conventional artisan, family, or а producing and trading firm, while there is no difference between production and trade. Agents are located upon and move through bounded two-dimensional space divided into square cells. The model demonstrates processes of agents’ concentration in a small set of cells, which is interpreted as «city» formation. Agents are immortal, they don’t mutate and evolve, though this is interesting perspective for the evolution of the model itself.

Technoscape provides some distinctively new type of self-organization. Partially, this type of selforganization resembles the behavior of segregation model by Thomas Shelling, still that model has evolution rules substantially different from Technoscape. In Shelling model there exist avalanches still simple equilibria exist if no new agents are added to the game board, while in Technoscape no such equilibria exist. At best, we can observe quasi-equilibrium, slowly changing global states.

One non-trivial phenomenon Technoscape exhibits, which also contrasts to Shelling segregation model, is the ability of agents to concentrate in local cells (interpreted as cities) even explicitly and totally ignoring local interactions, using non-local interactions only.

At the same time, while the agents tend to concentrate in large one-cell cities, large scale of such cities does not guarantee them from decay: there always exists a process of «enticement» of agents and their flow to new cities.

Keywords: multi-agent systems, self-organization, complex systems, economical geography, city formation, global economy, high-tech economy
Citation in English: Kurakin P.V. Technoscape: multi-agent model for evolution of network of cities, joined by production and trade links // Computer Research and Modeling, 2022, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 163-178
Citation in English: Kurakin P.V. Technoscape: multi-agent model for evolution of network of cities, joined by production and trade links // Computer Research and Modeling, 2022, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 163-178
DOI: 10.20537/2076-7633-2022-14-1-163-178
URL: http://crm-en.ics.org.ru/journal/article/3167/
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

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