Randomness, Emergence and Causation: A Historical Perspective of Simulation in the Social Sciences

Abstract

This chapter is a review of some simulation models, with special reference to social sciences. Three critical aspects are identified, i.e. randomness, emergence and causation, that may help understand the evolution and the main characteristics of these simulation models. Several examples illustrate the concepts of the paper.

What's stopping the waste-treatment industry from adopting emerging circular technologies? An agent-based model revealing drivers and barriers

“…Knowing the chosen five parameters, four values are chosen for each as summarized in a factorial design of runs. When assessing how many repetitions are needed, ( Seri & Secchi's2017 ) power analysis framework for ABM experiments is applied. The result of the power analysis suggests that 20 repetitions for each configuration are required.…”