Agent-Based Geographical Information System

Abstract

Agent-based geographical information system (ABGIS) could be characterized as a kind of system integrating features commonly found in geographical information system and in agent-based simulation tools. ABGIS provides a powerful simulation tool and an environment that is an excellent metaphor to represent our spatio-temporal world. With ABGIS we could explore the dynamics of spatio-temporal systems, particularly, but not exclusively, complex systems. It is possible to simulate complex systems having as a starting point only simple elements (agents), embedded in some type of environment. These agents can interact which each other in only specific and very simple ways. As the result of the interaction among the agents and the environment, the behavior of the complex system at macrocosmic level then emerges. According this line of thinking, there are a lot of social, biological, and ecological processes that can be simulated by agent-based models. In this article we give a general description of the desirable capabilities of ABSGIS, describing some features it should incorporate, and presenting some examples that could explore this kind of tool