Assessing Multi-agent Simulations - Inspiration through Application

The application of multi-agent simulations in practical decision support and training gains relevance as technological advances improve computational performance, user interfaces and visualizations. This paper describes the life cycle of one such application, the airline revenue management simulation system REMATE. It highlights the way in which issues of verification, validation and acceptance were treated when implementing and applying REMATE. Feedback loops linking the system, practitioners and researchers are illustrated. Challenges with regard to the required balance of parsimony and realism required from the underlying model are summarized and critically assessed. The paper suggests that through the diverging or additional requirements of practical application, challenges and opportunities for further research in the field of multi-agent simulations arise.

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