NetLogo

NetLogo

Paradigm(s)	multi-paradigm: educational, procedural, agent-based, simulation
Appeared in	1999
Designed by	Uri Wilensky
Developer	Northwestern University Center for Connected Learning and Computer-Based Modeling
Stable release	4.1.3 (April 3, 2011; 7 months ago (2011-04-03))
Influenced by	StarLogo, Logo
OS	Cross-platform (JVM)
License	Freeware
Usual filename extensions	nlogo
Website	ccl.northwestern.edu/netlogo

NetLogo is a multi-agent programming language and integrated modeling environment.

About

NetLogo was designed in the spirit of the Logo programming language to be "low threshold and no ceiling," that is to enable easy entry by novices and yet meet the needs of high powered users. The NetLogo environment enables exploration of emergent phenomena. It comes with an extensive models library including models in a variety of domains such as economics, biology, physics, chemistry, psychology, system dynamics and many other natural and social sciences. Beyond exploration, NetLogo enables the quick and easy authoring of models.

It is particularly well suited for modeling complex systems developing over time. Modelers can give instructions to hundreds or thousands of independent "agents" all operating concurrently. This makes it possible to explore the connection between the micro-level behavior of individuals and the macro-level patterns that emerge from the interaction of many individuals.

NetLogo has many thousands of active users. It is freely available from the NetLogo website. NetLogo is in use in a wide variety of educational contexts from elementary school to graduate school. Many teachers make use of NetLogo in their curricula. NetLogo comes bundled with a large library of sample models covering many domains in natural and social science.

NetLogo was designed and authored by Uri Wilensky, director of Northwestern University's Center for Connected Learning and Computer-Based Modeling. Development has been funded by the National Science Foundation and other foundations.

Technical foundation

NetLogo is written in Java and Scala and runs on the Java Virtual Machine. At its core is a hybrid interpreter/compiler that partially compiles user code to JVM bytecode. The newest version of NetLogo, 5.0, is open source.

References

• Railsback, Steven F.; Volker Grimm (2011). Agent-Based and Individual-Based Modeling: A Practical Introduction. Cambridge: Princeton University Press . ISBN 978-0691136745. 

• Gilbert, Nigel; Klaus G. Troitzsch (2005). SIMULATION FOR THE SOCIAL SCIENTIST Second Edition. London: McGraw Hill . ISBN 978-0335216000. 

• Wilensky, U.; W. Rand (in Press). An introduction to agent-based modeling: Modeling natural, social and engineered complex systems with NetLogo.. Cambridge: MIT Press . 

See also

• MicroWorlds
• StarLogo
• Repast The Recursive Porous Agent Simulation Toolkit
• Swarm

External links

• CCL home page
  • NetLogo home page
  • NetLogo Models Library
  • Other NetLogo-related resources on the web
• Discussion group hosted by Yahoo!
• NetLogo models of multiagent systems
• NetLogo 4.0 Quick Guide