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CSCS 531: Basic Skills for Agent Based Models -- Fall 2005

Tuesdays, 3:30-5:00, starting Tuesday 13 September 2005.
CSCS Computer Lab -- 1712 Chemistry Bldg (entrance here)
Credits: 1.
Rick Riolo
rlriolo@umich.edu

CSCS Short Workshop Series:
Basic Computing Skills for Programming Agent Based Models.

This series of classes covers the basic computing skills which are required for implementing agent-based models using Swarm (and other similar packages) in a linux/unix enviroment. The class is primarily for students who are intending to take CSCS 530, Computer Modeling of Complex Systems, in Winter 2006, but who have little or no computing programming background. The topics covered include:

basic linux/unix commands,
editing using emacs,
using the make command to compile and link programs
basic programming concepts and constructs, including variables, operators, flow-control, and output.
basic object-oriented programming concepts, including classes and inheritance, messages and methods, creating and destroying objects,
some basic classes of general usefulness for writing agent-based models, including Lists, Arrays, and random number generators.

The course will be taught in the context of the Java language, using the Repast ABM library.

The syllabus for this term (Fall 2005) is here.

The syllabus page from Fall 2004 is at here.

The classes will meet in the CSCS Computer Lab, 1712 Chemistry Bldg (here on Central Campus), 3:30-5:00pm Tuesdays, every other week. The first (mostly organizational) class will be

Tuesday 13 September 2005

Grades: The point of this course is to give students a chance to get an introduction, with some help, to programming and working in the linux environment. I am assuming everyone is well-motivated to take this course, and will do the work without a need for me to use carrots and/or sticks. As a result there are two possible grades: A and C. If you come to class, make a good effort at all the homework programs, and ask questions if you are stuck, you will get an A. If you do only a little of the above, you will get a C. (In theory you could get an E, but that would mean doing none of the above...in which case we'd have to wonder why you enrolled in the course!!)

Space is limited, so please send mail to Rick Riolo (rlriolo@umich.edu if you would like to register. If the class is oversubscribed, first preference will go to students planning to enroll in CSCS 530 in Winter 2006 term.

Please feel free to pass this announcment on to other people you think might be interested.

NOT READY YET:
CTools site; cscs531-05@ctools.umich.edu

Participants for Fall 2005.

Updated September 10, 2005