Simple implementation of the El Farol Bar Problem

1 collaborator

Simple implementation of the El Farol Bar problem

AUTHOR

Giangiacomo Bravo

WHAT IS IT?

This model implement the classic El Farol Bar problem in a simple way, suitable for introductory classes in social simulation.

HOW IT WORKS

Agents face a binary decision: to enter or not the bar. They are happy to enter the bar if it's not overcrowded, but prefer to stay outside above a certain number of clients. In each tick, a certain proportion of agents simultaneously check whether the number of clients in the bar is above their (un)happiness threshold (equal for all). If not, they enter (or remain in) the bar, if yes they remain (or go) outside.

HOW TO USE IT

The setup bottom sets up the agents. All are initially outside. Click it just once at the beginning of the simulation. The go button starts and ends the simulation.

Global parameters

The n-of-agents slider allows to select the number of agents in the model.
The bar-limit slider sets the happiness threshold for the agents.
The simultaneous-move-prop slider sets the proportion of agents checking whether they are happy or not in a given tick.

THINGS TO NOTICE

The average number of clients in the bar is always close to the happiness threshold. Still the actual number can oscillate widely if many agents do their choices at the same time.

Comments and Questions

Rodgers Munene

El Farol Bar Problem Model (Question)

How can I apply this model in power microgrid resilience modelling? Bearing in mind that power microgrid resilience under fault or abnormal conditions is unpredictable and complex and ill-defined and deductive reasoning cannot be possible. Only inductive reasoning under boundedly rational agents solutions are found to give better results.

Posted almost 8 years ago

Click to Run Model

to setup
  ca
  set-default-shape turtles "person"
  ask patches with [abs pxcor < 5 and abs pycor < 4] [set pcolor white]
  ask n-of n-of-agents patches with [pcolor = black] [sprout 1]
  reset-ticks
end 

to go
  choose
  tick
end 

to choose
  let turtles-in-the-bar count turtles-on patches with [pcolor = white]
  ask n-of round (n-of-agents * simultaneous-move-prop) turtles [
    ifelse turtles-in-the-bar > bar-limit
    [
      move-to one-of patches with [pcolor = black]
    ]
    [
      move-to one-of patches with [pcolor = white]
    ]
  ]
end

There is only one version of this model, created about 8 years ago by Giangiacomo Bravo.

Attached files

File	Type	Description	Last updated
Simple implementation of the El Farol Bar Problem.png	preview	Preview for 'Simple implementation of the El Farol Bar Problem'	about 8 years ago, by Giangiacomo Bravo	Download

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