Exploring Wealth Distribution Through Sugarscape Jordan Albright Purpose

Exploring Wealth Distribution Through Sugarscape Jordan Albright

Purpose • Analyze the wealth distribution of agents in Sugarscape over time • Compare calculations with other studies • Assess validity of project in scope of social science

Similar Studies • An Agent-Based Model of Wealth Distribution • Impullitti and Rebmann, 2002 • Studied sugarscape wealth distribution in context of classical and neo-classical economics • Found it difficult to bridge model and reality in agent based modeling

Similar Studies (cont. ) • Aligning Simulation Models: A Case Study and Results • Axtell, Axelrod, Epstein, Cohen, 1996 • Attempted to synthesize results from Sugarscape and Axelrod model • Difficult to streamline results of models when given same initial conditions

Sugarscape • Movement – Vision • Reproduction • Death • Sugar regrowth

Wealth Distribution Analysis • Lorenz Curve – Proportion of distribution – Line of perfect equality – Basis for many other functions

Wealth Distribution Analysis • Gini coefficient – Measure of inequality – Ratio ranging from 0 to 1 – Typical range of developed countries: . 3 to. 4

User Controls • User can specify: – Initial population – Birth energy – Max. metabolism and vision – Inheritance on or off – Display vision of agents

Results • Comparison of results with Impullitti: – Gini coefficient in project • Without inheritance: . 35 to. 4 • With inheritance: . 4 to. 5 – Gini coefficient in Impullitti: . 3 to. 33 • Different rules for agents • Different initial conditions

Results (cont. ) • Non-inherited • Small fluctuations in GC, vision, metabolism

Results (cont. ) • Inherited • Metabolism approaches lower limit • Vision increases but does not reach maximum

Results (cont. ) • Based on visual representation, bottlenecking • Regions of unequal wealth distribution