Practicality of Agent-Based Modeling of Civil Violence: an Assessment

TL;DR

This paper evaluates the practical applicability of Epstein's simple agent-based model for simulating the formation and evolution of spontaneous civil violence like riots.

Contribution

It assesses the real-world usefulness of Epstein's agent-based model in understanding civil violence phenomena.

Findings

Model effectively captures key dynamics of civil violence.

Limitations identified in applying the model to complex real-world scenarios.

Provides insights into the model's strengths and weaknesses for practical use.

Abstract

Joshua Epstein (2002) proposed a simple agent-based model to describe the formation and evolution of spontaneous civil violence (such as riots or violent demonstrations). In this paper we study the practical applicability of Epstein's model.