Book Chapter

ML3: a language for compact modeling of linked lives in computational demography

Warnke, T., Steiniger, A., Uhrmacher, A., Klabunde, A., Willekens, F. J.
In: Yilmaz, L. (Ed.): Proceedings of the 2015 Winter Simulation Conference, December 6 - 9, 2015, Huntington Beach, CA, 2764–2775
Piscataway, NJ, IEEE (2015)

Abstract

Agent-based modeling and simulation is widely used in the area of computational demography. Although existing agent-based approaches allow modeling linked lives in a rather flexible manner, the resulting models, due to typically being implemented in a general-purpose programming language, often lack the compactness required to easily access the model. With ML3 (Modeling Language for Linked Lives) we present a compact and expressive domain specific modeling language for continuous-time agent-based models in computational demography. The language combines elements from guarded commands, process algebras, and rule-based approaches. We discuss and present the individual features of the language and illuminate the compactness of the approach by presenting the specification of an entire agent-based model from recent literature.
The Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) in Rostock is one of the leading demographic research centers in the world. It's part of the Max Planck Society, the internationally renowned German research society.