Agent-Based and Individual-Based Modeling:
A Practical Introduction
Second Edition
Steven F. Railsback and Volker Grimm
Princeton University Press, 2019
This site is a venue for users of Railsback & Grimm 2019 ("R&G"), and the 2012 first edition of the book. It is especially for instructors teaching classes using the book, to share resources and teaching strategies, collaborate with other users, and provide feedback about their experiences using the book. The site is hosted by the QUBES (Quantitative Undergraduate Biology Education and Synthesis) project.
The 2nd edition of R&G includes new exercises, more help through the most challenging material (Chapter 5!), and all-new and more complete instructor materials.
The primary site for the R&G book remains the authors’ site at www.railsback-grimm-abm-book.com, which was complete revised for the 2nd edition. There you can: find news about the book, related short courses, etc.; read a description of it objectives and a summary of its contents; download supporting files and documents, including the errata sheet (a list of corrections); request the official instructor materials (exercise solutions and working NetLogo files for example models); examine information on NetLogo relevant to the book; see acknowledgements and links; and contact the authors. Materials for the first edition are still available.
The links across the top of this page provide the following functions:
Overview: Links to information about the book, and tips on using this site.
Members: See and contact members of the QUBES ABM Group. (Information on membership is below.)
Announcements: See and contribute announcements related to R&G and ABM education.
Collections: Find, download, and contribute materials related to R&G, such as lecture notes and other instructional materials.
Forum: Ask and answer questions related to specific parts of R&G, its example models, and other teaching issues.
Projects: Collaborate with other members on projects such as new teaching materials and models.
Wish list: Submit suggestions for improvements to the book or this site.
Membership
Most functions of this site are available only to members. We use membership to avoid spam and keep site content as focused and relevant as possible for those using R&G to teach classes (or themselves). Members also receive email notification when material is added to this site. To become a member, you must be a QUBESHub member (click here to register for the first time), and then join by clicking here.
Acknowledgements
Steve Railsback and Volker Grimm thank the QUBES project, especially Jeremy Wojdak, for the idea of this site and all the help setting it up. We also thank the former students and others contributing to the site. Now get busy!
Opportunities for faculty
QUBES, the biomathematics education project hosting this site, is also hosting "faculty mentoring networks" where faculty and expert mentors interact during the semester while faculty are teaching - discussing, sharing, and working together on a focused topic. Click here for information about the current and future agent-based modeling faculty mentoring networks, and click here for information about networks on other biomathematics education topics.