Sensitive dependence of complex systems: an agent-based modelling demonstration

Authored by Jun Zhang, Mahmoud T Khasawneh

Date Published: 2016

DOI: 10.1504/ijcat.2016.10000456

Sponsors: No sponsors listed

Platforms: NetLogo

Model Documentation: Other Narrative

Model Code URLs: Model code not found

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to provide insights about the phenomenon of sensitive dependence of complex systems on initial conditions (i.e., the butterfly effect). An agent-directed simulation of a case study is presented to demonstrate and investigate this phenomenon. The case study used is exploring the impact of one person on a population's genome. A population growth simulation was created as a baseline. Every agent in the population was given a unique ten-digit identifier to represent their DNA coding. Other simulations were run with small perturbation factors introduced to the initial conditions. Results show that mild perturbations introduced to a population growth model can significantly alter the genetic structure of a population in the long term. Furthermore, the simulation revealed a positive relationship between the complexity of the system and the speed at which the butterfly effect emerges.

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