Collaborating with Managers to Develop Flight Simulators to Address Complex Problems Using Agent-Based Models

This chapter is about how researchers can collaborate with managers, policymakers, and other stakeholders in a focal system to address complex social and business issues by using a computer to simulate the system as an agent-based model (ABM). These ABMs simulate the behavior of a system in the form of a computer program with actors represented as software agents or pieces of computer code, and the rules governing their behavior and interactions are represented as computer algorithms. We illustrate how ABMs can be applied to assist decision-making by presenting two realistic examples. We discuss a co-design process of ABMs that allows multiple stakeholder groups and disciplinary experts to learn from and with each other. Moreover, we discuss how ABMs can be analyzed and used to represent key characteristics of dynamic systems to understand their interactive dynamics and complexities and how these lead to real-world problems. The chapter aims to demonstrate that ABMs are a powerful tool for facilitating collaboration among researchers and stakeholders by integrating diverse types of knowledge and helping to address complex problems.