Modelos Basados en Agentes (MBA): definición, alcances y limitaciones

The document defines Agent-Based Modeling (ABM) as a 'bottom-up' technique where a system is represented as a collection of autonomous decision-making entities called agents. Unlike traditional analytical methods that focus on system equilibrium, ABMs allow for the emergence of global patterns from local interactions. The guide details the components of an ABM—agents, environment, and rules—and highlights its utility in simulating complex systems characterized by interdependence, heterogeneity, and hierarchies. It provides specific guidance on when to use ABMs (e.g., for non-linear interactions or spatial relevance) and outlines a rigorous process for verification, calibration, and validation. Finally, it discusses implementation tools and the ODD protocol for standardized documentation.

• Agent-Based Modeling (ABM) employs a 'bottom-up' approach, modeling a system as a collection of autonomous decision-making entities called agents to generate system-level equilibrium and patterns of behavior.
• ABMs are specifically suited for complex systems where global behavior cannot be predicted by extrapolating individual components, a concept known as 'emergence'.
• The primary advantages of ABMs include the ability to incorporate heterogeneity (financial, social, or structural), explicit interactions between agents and their environment, and the capacity to act as 'virtual laboratories' for social sciences.
• ABMs are recommended over traditional analytical methods (like differential equations) when a system exhibits complex non-linear interactions, heterogeneous populations, complex topological interactions, stochastic behavior, or significant spatial components.
• Verification and validation of ABMs are critical and should involve multiple strategies: 'code walks', unit testing, 'small world' runs for verification, and the involvement of real-world actors and model-to-model (M2M) comparisons for validation.
• Standardized documentation of ABMs is recommended through the ODD (Overview, Design concepts, and Details) protocol to ensure transparency and repeatability of results.

APA

Cardoso, C., Bert, F., & Podestá, G. (n.d.). Modelos Basados en Agentes (MBA): definición, alcances y limitaciones. Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/uploads/2014/03/Cardoso_et_al_Manual_ABM.pdf

Chicago

Cardoso, Carolina, Federico Bert, and Guillermo Podestá. Modelos Basados en Agentes (MBA): definición, alcances y limitaciones. Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, n.d. https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/uploads/2014/03/Cardoso_et_al_Manual_ABM.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cardoso |first1=Carolina |last2=Bert |first2=Federico |last3=Podestá |first3=Guillermo |title=Modelos Basados en Agentes (MBA): definición, alcances y limitaciones |publisher=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |url=https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/uploads/2014/03/Cardoso_et_al_Manual_ABM.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cardosondmodelos, author = {Cardoso, Carolina and Bert, Federico and Podestá, Guillermo}, title = {{Modelos Basados en Agentes (MBA): definición, alcances y limitaciones}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, url = {https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/uploads/2014/03/Cardoso_et_al_Manual_ABM.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }