A Simulation approach baced on an interaction model of agents

Abstract

Our modern society may be characterized as a sophisticated information society. In the society, a community and a group seem to emerge auto-genetically depending on information systems. They can be named as a virtual community. The information systems make it possible to share much information among participants in the community. What kind of mechanisms may exist in emerging the group and its boundary auto-genetically? Information sharing and disappearance of regional constraints seem to affect the emergence. In order to explore the mechanisms of emergence, we develop a communication model in terms of interactions among agents, The interactions are classified into three types with respect to memorization: i.e. Individual Memory type, Trans-active Memory type, and External Memory type. In the Individual Memory type, the agent does not share information except in an occasion of interaction occurred. In the Trans-active Memory type, the agent shares information among group agents, In the External Memory type, agents have a common data base to share information among group agents. Computer simulation reveals the process of boundary emergence. Among the findings, the process of boundary emergence in the Trans-active Memory type is quite different from the other two types. As a conclusion, the model can describe the interesting behavior of boundary emergence and the method of computer simulation may be promising to explore the role of information systems in a society.