Displaying 10 of 60 results for "William J. Berger" clear search
I am a computational social scientist, engineer, and systems researcher. I work in several aspects of modelling the dynamics of organisational, economic and social systems. I am interested in the link between micro-level rules, structural interdependence and macro-level outcomes in a variety of settings (e.g., organisational dynamics, industry evolution, competitive spatial location, agricultural markets). I am also interested in the use of computational models for better policy design (policy modelling).
I am a spatial (GIS) agent-based modeler i.e. modeler that simulates the impact of various individual decisions on the environment. My work is mainly methodological i.e. I develop tools that make agent-based modeling (ABM) easier to do. I especially focus on developing tools that allow for evaluating various uncertainties in ABM. One of these uncertainties are the ways of quantifying agent decisions (i.e. the algorithmic representation of agent decision rules) for example to address the question of “How do the agents decide whether to grow crops or rather put land to fallow?”. One of the methods I developed focuses on representing residential developers’ risk perception for example to answer the question: “to what extent is the developer risk-taking and would be willing to build new houses targeted at high-income families (small market but big return on investment)?”. Other ABM uncertainties that I evaluate are various spatial inputs (e.g. different representations of soil erosion, different maps of environmental benefits from land conservation) and various demographics (i.e. are retired farmers more willing to put land to conservation?). The tools I develop are mostly used in (spatial) sensitivity analysis of ABM (quantitative, qualitative, and visual).
I am an agent-based simulation modeler and social scientist living near Cambridge, UK.
In recent years, I have developed supply chain models for Durham University (Department of Anthropology), epidemiological models for the Covid-19 pandemic, and agent-based land-use models with Geography PhD students at Cambridge University.
Previously, I spent three years at Ludwig-Maximillians University, Munich, working on Human-Environment Relations and Sustainability, and over two and a half years at Surrey University, working on Innovation with Nigel Gilbert in the Centre for Research in Social Simulation (CRESS). The project at Surrey resulted in a book in 2014, “Simulating Innovation: Computer-based Tools for Rethinking Innovation”. My PhD topic, modeling human agents who energise or de-energise each other in social interactions, drew upon the work of sociologist Randall Collins. My multi-disciplinary background includes degrees in Operational Research (MSc) and Philosophy (BA/MA).
I got hooked on agent-based modeling and complexity science some time around 2000, via the work of Brian Arthur, Stuart Kauffman, Robert Axelrod and Duncan Watts (no relation!).
As an agent-based modeler, I specialize in NetLogo. For data analysis, I use Excel/VBA, and R, and occasionally Python 3, and Octave / MatLab.
My recent interests include:
* conflict and the emergence of dominant groups (in collaboration with S. M. Amadae, University of Helsinki);
* simulating innovation / novelty, context-dependency, and the Frame Problem.
When not working on simulations, I’m probably talking Philosophy with one of the research seminars based in Cambridge. I have a particular interests when these meet my agent-based modeling interests, including:
* Social Epistemology / Collective Intelligence;
* Phenomenology / Frame Problem / Context / Post-Heideggerian A.I.;
* History of Cybernetics & Society.
If you’re based near Cambridge and have an idea for a modeling project, then, for the cost of a coffee / beer, I’m always willing to offer advice.
My research focuses on pastoral systems. I examine how pastoralists adapt to changing ecological, political and institutional conditions that affect their lives and livelihoods. I have been conducting research with pastoralists in the Far North Region of Cameroon since 1993. The long-term research has allowed me to develop innovative, interdisciplinary research projects with colleagues at the Ohio State University and the University of Maroua in Cameroon. Check out my website for more information about my research, teaching, and other scholarly activities: http://mlab.osu.edu
Pastoral systems, management of common-pool resources, coupled human and natural systems, complex adaptive systems, regime shifts, resilience, ecology of infectious diseases, herder-farmer conflicts, pastoral development, political ecology.
I study human culture and cooperation in relationship to the environment. In particular, I study how social norms, institutions and societies evolve, and how they are influenced by ecological and social forces. I strive to use this research to learn how to better build durable, sustainable and just institutions and societies. I use experimental economics and agent-based modeling to explore these connections, and work with lot of wonderful people.
I am investigating the use of machine learning techniques in non-stationary modeling environments to better reproduce aspects of human learning and decision-making in human-natural system simulations.
Displaying 10 of 60 results for "William J. Berger" clear search