Multi-agent modeling: a fairy-tale *
In the town of Parameter Vale, seven unusual and magical entities inhabited the local school, influencing the students in subtle and not-so-subtle ways.
First, there was the Aleph of Cyberspace, an ever-changing digital nexus residing within the school’s computers. It was a swirling vortex of trends, memes, and online challenges, its patterns ebbing and flowing with the moods and whims of the student body. Some students adjusted swiftly to these digital waves, while others were slower, displaying varying degrees of what the Aleph considered the ‘Change Rate’.
Next, a digital educational sprite called the Hierarchical Framework for Cognition lived within the school’s AI learning platform. It meticulously crafted personalized lessons for each student. The speed at which students embraced or rejected these lessons was governed by the same ‘Change Rate’ principle, the Aleph of Cyberspace’s signature.
Then there was the Dragonfly, a shimmering symbol of spontaneity and mischief that fluttered around the school playground. It whispered daring deeds into the ears of the children. The magnitude and speed of its effect ebbed and flowed, changing the students’ preferences rapidly or slowly depending on the magical variable known as ‘Effect Reduction’.
In the center of the school garden stood an ancient sentient tree called NowYouAre.us. The tree had a profound sense of shared history and collective consciousness. Here, friendships blossomed or wilted, kept in a delicate balance by the unseen forces of ‘Min Mutuality’ and ‘Max Mutuality’.
A shining plaque known as the Hidden Treasure was displayed in the school’s main hall, a symbol of achievement and ambition. Its glow attracted students, their attraction varying in intensity and fading over time, encapsulated by the mysterious parameter known as ‘Effect Reduction’.
The Temporal Abuser, a specter of pressure and anxiety, floated around the school, its presence amplified during exam season. Its effects, both positive and negative, were held in check by ‘Alpha’, the amount of time students needed to perceive the true consequences of their actions.
Lastly, the Fractal, a captivating art installation in the school lobby, sparked introspection and contemplation. It was here that the ‘Theta Perceived Similarity’ revealed itself, a magic threshold defining how similar students felt they needed to be before they could form friendships.
As the school year cycled through its seasons, the seven entities interacted with the students, shaping behaviors and relationships in a dance defined by the whims of the modelers’ parameters. Students were often unaware of the influences shaping them, yet they were learning valuable lessons on adaptability, preference, mutual understanding, and perception.
In the grand scheme of things, this was the beauty of Parameter Vale, a place where students were subtly guided through their educational journey by the invisible hand of these magical entities, learning life’s lessons through the twists and turns of their schooling days. The narrative, though wrapped in a cloak of mysticism and whimsy, was a powerful and engaging lesson in multi-agent modeling.
* source: Kenneth Udut who found a 2007 Excel Add-On for multi-agent modeling and in reading the documentation, found the parameters it used for incredibly thorough and posted about it a few years ago on Facebook, put the parameters section only through ChatGPT4, asking it to write it in a pedagogical fairy tale that obscures what it’s teaching. The Entity Names ChatGPT4 picked from a large amount of words and phrases I consider “magic phrases”, and it imbued them with appropriate powers.
[responsivevoice_button voice="US English Male"]