Axiomatic Theory and Simulation: A Philosophy of Science Perspective on Schelling's Segregation Model

Klaus G. Troitzsch ()
Additional contact information
Klaus G. Troitzsch: http://userpages.uni-koblenz.de/~kgt

Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, 2017, vol. 20, issue 1, 10

Abstract: The paper uses Schelling’s famous segregation model and a number of extensions to show how a reconstruction of the theory behind these models along the lines of the ‘non-statement view’ on empirical science can contribute to a better understanding of these models and a more straightforward implementation. A short introduction to the procedure of reconstructing a theory is given, using an extremely simple theory from mechanics. The same procedure is then applied to Schelling’s segregation theory. A number of extensions to Schelling’s model are analysed that relax the original idealisations, such as adding dierent tolerance levels between the two subpopulations, assuming inhomogeneous subpopulations and heterogeneous experiences of neighbourhoods, among others. Finally, it is argued that a ‘non-statement view’ reconstruction of a mental model or a verbally expressed theory are relevant for a useful specification for a simulation model.

Keywords: Theory Reconstruction; Non-Statement View; Schelling Model; Segregation; Axiom (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017-01-31
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.jasss.org/20/1/10/10.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:jas:jasssj:2016-189-2

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation from Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Francesco Renzini ().