Agent-Based Simulation

Simulation is comrnonly used in agent research as a way to validate the design and to analyze the infìuence of different design alternatives in the performance of systems. This chapter deals with agent-based simulation and, in particular, with the problem of building and simulating models of manufacturing systems (or parts of them) with a prevalent multiagent-based component. The specific features of this kind of simulation model are discussed also with reference to traditional simulation approaches adopted in manufacturing and to available agent-based simulation frameworks. The chapter concludes by proposing an application of multiagent-based simulation to tackle the problem of the configuration of the multiagent scheduling system employed in the fictitious PS-Bikes company.