Socio-Natural and Socio-Ecologo-Economic Models Designed by the Method of Agent Modeling

Abstract

The article reviews topical socio-natural and socio-ecologo-economic models designed in overseas countries during the last decade with the help of the method of agent imitation modeling, which is successfully used to resolve a wide range of tasks connected with researching the character of mutual impact of components of socio-natural systems and assessment of consequences of socio-natural interaction, as well as searching for optimal strategies of sustainable economic development in regions observing the principles of ecologic security. It analyzes constructive features of agent-oriented and multi-agent models and on the basis of its results it puts forward the classification of models, according to which it is possible to combine them in two groups, each of them includes several sub-types depending on the purpose and specific conceptual idea of building the imitation process. The 1st group embraces  models, which reproduces the structure of interconnected components of the system ‘nature-society’ and imitates anthropogenic processes within the frames of territories (regions) being researched, the 2nd one – models, with the help of which it is possible to design systems for interactive monitoring and control over the environment quality, to imitate processes of environment contamination with harmful matters and to assess the impact of ecological conditions on health of the population living on territories (regions) being researched. Examples of models designed by geo-informational and information-telecommunication technologies are provided. Further development of advanced methods of scientific analysis and forecasting, modeling of large-scale highly-detailed systems and processes connected with studying socio-ecological problems of interaction of society and nature and design of intellectual systems of managing the quality of the environment is directly connected with the aim of increasing model productivity, whose resolving can be promoted by passing-over from imitation modeling to parallel and distributed one, as well as using specialized program-apparatus means and super-computer resources to provide parallel calculations.