emergent/swarm/evolutionary systems etc

[Dang Griffith]

On Fri, 2 Apr 2004 10:16:19 +0000 (UTC), "Peter MacKenzie"
<peter9547 at btinternet.com> wrote:

>I'll take that to mean that my chances are slim.  Although this probability
>is mediated my lack of a social life, I've conceived of a contingency
>wherein a standard spreadsheet application could be used to facilitate at
>least some limited degree of modelling.  Given your recommendation, I'll
>ensure the feasibility of this option before I commit to the primary
>methodology, thereby ensuring that a disappointing rate of progress doesn't
>prove fatal for my dissertation.
>
>Fortunately, I've found an online textbook at
>http://www.ibiblio.org/obp/thinkCSpy/index.htm, which appears better suited
>to my needs than the standard python documentation, and may alleviate some
>of the conceptual and syntactical difficulties I've been experiencing.
>
>I expect I may be back here for additional aid in the near-future.
>
The spreadsheet approach may be a suitable alternative, indeed.
In the past, I've taught some friends with an accounting background
a little about programming, using spreadsheet formulae as examples.

Actually, spreadsheets might even have an advantage in your case,
because the calculations are performed simultaneously, for all intents
and purposes.  You don't need to control the "flow".  This is a common
characteristic of "simulation languages", also.  In them, you set up
your equations, relationships, dependencies, etc, provide initial
conditions, and let them run.  There is very little of the linear
sequencing of steps that occurs in most popular languages (python,
C(etc), lisp/scheme, pascal).

To simulate "generations", you will probably need to write a macro
that copies one generation to the next (column, or separate sheet). 
This is ironic, given that the Von Neumann paper that started your
interest in the subject is about copying a machine/program.

Best of luck,
    --dang