Project Proposal V 3.0
by Stephen Johnson
I.
Title.
Ant Optimization in NetLogo
II. Problem Statement. An Introduction to the Purpose and Scope of the
Research Project
Numerous fields of study work with systems. Some systems are very
simplistic, while others are very complex. The human body, for example, is a
network that man has been studying for centuries. It is a system of such
complexity that people refute Darwinism, arguing that something so complex could
not result from random chance. On a simpler scale, ants are amazing creatures
that, while very small, accomplish big things by working together. This has lead
to the development of Ant Optimization. Ant Optimization means using lots of very
simple agents to perform a complex task. By studying a simpler form of networking
(like ants), we can begin to understand how a more complex system (like a human)
might work. The purpose of this project is to model the behavior of ant foraging.
I hope to create a nest of ants that follow simple rules but are able to find
optimal paths from their nest to a food source. This project will explore how a
mass of simplistic agents can perform a complex task.
III.
Purpose.
What is the subject of the project; what are the goals;
The subject of this product is optimization. The goal is to generate optimal
solutions to path finding problems using agents in a model.
what is the project about?
This project is about understanding Ant Optimization. This kind of agent
based modeling relies on very large numbers of simplistic agents. These agents
carry little or no information and perform very simple tasks, but in large numbers
form a network that is capable of complicated tasks.
Why is the project worth doing;
This project is worth doing because the results are
fields. Optimization is a subject of intense interest to
businessmen, military officials, mathematicians, and many
is of particular interest because the agents involved are
for short programing time with big results.
applicable to many
marketing agents,
others. Ant Optimization
so simple. This allows
why is it a good topic for the Computer Systems Lab?
This is a good topic for the Computer Systems Lab because computers allow us
to model things digitally, which is much easier than producing mechanical models.
Who will be interested in the results; how can the results be applied?
The application of Ant optimization is not limited to any one field.
Computers allow us to model so many situations. Any industries with computer
networks can integrate agents into the networks to optimize their tasks. I suspect
that in the future the capabilities of scientists and engineers will reach the
point where we can create very small computers and integrate them with robots and
perhaps even biological life. This would allow us to introduce optimization agents
into the real world, which would give us more accurate results than any model.
IV. Scope of Study.
Describe the overall bounds of the work that will be involved, e.g., the research
or data that will be required, and the relationships and variables that will need
to be programmed, the expected results, etc. [Hints: Most students have a hard time
finishing their projects because of the complexities they encounter. So you may
have to narrow down your research/project objectives. You need to be specific about
what you want to develop. Try drawing a boundary around the area of study that you
think you can finish. You may have to select a more modest piece of your original
project idea to work on.]
I will be using a language called NetLogo, which was built for agent based
modeling. I will have to research the language in order to program my model. I am
then going to create a simulation in which my agents will represent ants and find
optimal solutions to food gathering problems. Once the behavior of the ants is
programmed I can place them in different situations and see how they behave.
V. Background and review of current literature/research in this area. Demonstrate
that you know the background of your topic. What kinds of research have been done
before in this area? How have others gone about trying to solve the problems you
want to tackle? Where is the "state of the art" today? In what ways may your
approach build on and vary from previous work that has been done in your project
area? If you wanted to bring another student up to date on what you're doing, what
would be the most important thing to read or website(s) to look at for information?
Agent based modeling is very popular. We use it to simulate lots of things
from predation to hurricane paths. Growing Artificial Societies (Epstein and
Axtell) and Turtles Termites and Traffic Jams (Resnick) are two examples of work
that has been done on Agent Based modeling. Mr. Resnick has an example of how ants
collect food. I intend to extend this example by introducing obstacles through
which the ants must find the optimal path.
Start thinking about a bibliography: all references in this background and
literature review section should be in your bibliography, but not everything that
will be in your bibliography needs to be included here.
Bibliography
NetLogo user manual, Uri Wilensky
"Growing Artificial Societies," Joshua Epstein & Robert Axtell
"Turtles, Termites, and Traffic Jams," Mitchel Resnick
“Swarm Intelligence,” James Kennedy & Russell C Eberhart
“Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid,” Douglas R. Hofstadter
“Ant Colony Optimization,” Marco Dorigo & Thomas Stutzle
“Ant Foraging Revisited,” Liviu A. Panait & Sean Luke
VI.
Procedure and Methodology.
You should show that you clearly understand your task, have a logical time plan,
say, by the research, design, programming, sub-testing and testing phases of your
project. Show that you have identified the resources that you will need.
What are the tasks and sub-tasks that will have to be accomplished to meet your
objectives?
Investigate ant behvior
Code ants
Research possible environments to test ants
Analyze results and investigate applications
What materials and programming language(s)/tools will be necessary?
NetLogo, all set up
What graphics will be needed?
NetLogo has integrated graphics
What data will be needed and how will they be collected?
NetLogo allows data collection and display to be programmed, so all I will have to
do is to decide what kind of data I want to collect.
What method or processes will be used to test and analyze the data?
Again, aspects of NetLogo that I will incorporate into my project.
What error analyses will be performed on the gathered data?
There is an inherent error in any simulation because its only a simulation. If I
can find data I will try to repeat the experiments performed using my ants and see
how my results compare. I will also investigate the restrictions inherent in my
model.
VII.
Expected Results & Value to Others
What results do you expect to obtain from your project?
I expect for my ants to be able to chose the optimal path from a myriad options and
to display that path.
How will the final results and analyses be presented (including
visuals such as graphs and charts)?
Screenshots of the ants at work as well as charts and-or graphs for any data I
collect will suffice.
What contributions can these results give to future researchers?
Only time will tell.
What time frame do you think you will need to accomplish the
identified tasks and subtasks?
The rest of the school year?
What form will be used as a work breakdown of your individual tasks,
and how they interrelate, for planning and tracking your work,
e.g. PERT Network(s) or Task Chart(s)?
I have a chart thingy that Mr. Latimer gave us, but I've pretty much just been
working every class and work gets done.