Assignment 3 – Complex Systems

 Ryan Salvaggio - 43668070

 

The Model

This model conceptualizes the effects on a real-estate market-model utilizing agent based modelling. This model utilizes basic economic principles of supply and demand.

The model bases itself on two Agents - one being ‘Customers’ of the real estate market model, whilst the other being the Real estate itself, coined 'Houses'.

Consumers (Demand)

The Agent population, ‘Consumers’ specifies the total amount of people whom can potentially become buyers within the market. This is limited to 30 for conceptual purposes. The Agent ‘Consumer’ exists in two states, either being an ‘Active Customer’ (Active) or an ‘Inactive Customer’ (Inactive).  The transition from Inactive to Active occurs upon the basis that the ‘Budget’ of the Consumer meets the desired price of the marketplace, this is specified through the variable ‘Budget’ defining the probability that this transition will occur – this is adjustable by the user indicating a highly resistive or by accepting the market. ‘Budget’s probability in a real life scenario would be based upon numerous factors however conceptually utilizing the slider can present many of these various situations.

Upon transitioning into an active state an ‘Active consumer’ will attempt to find the closest ‘For sale household’, this is represented and carried out through the ‘Enter’ action.  Upon finding a household the consumer and house will both return to their respected inactive state thus repeating the process.

Demand – ‘Count of active customers – demand’ is then calculated by a count of Consumers transitioned and currently in the Active state. A high demand would be indicative through a high ‘Budget’ responsiveness whilst a low demand would be indicative of a low ‘Budget’ responsiveness. The increase in Price and hence supply of household thus reduces demand and vise versa.  

House (Supply)

The Agent population, ‘Houses’ specifies the total amount of households that can potentially become for sale within the market. This is limited to 112 for conceptual purposes. The Agent ‘House’ exists in two states, either being ‘For Sale’ (Active) or ‘Not for Sale’ (Inactive).  The transition from Inactive to Active occurs upon the basis that the ‘Motivation to Sell’ of the House is satisfied, this satisfaction is specified by a set probability that this transition will occur – this is adjustable by the user indicating a highly responsive or restricted house market. ‘Motivation to sell’ probability in a real life scenario would be based upon numerous factors however conceptually utilizing the slider can present many of these various situations.

Upon transitioning into an active state a ‘For Sale’ house will wait for an ‘Active Customer’ ‘this is represented and carried out through the ‘Search’ action. Upon completion of the action both states become inactive and the process continues.

Supply – ‘Count of houses for sale –supply’ is then calculated by a count of Houses ‘For Sale’ that are currently in the active state. Ultimately a high Motivation to sell would sharply increase supply, whilst a low motivation would have the adverse effects.  

Movement Speed

Movement speed – describes the base movement rate of Consumers. This variable describes the transition into the ‘Inactive’ state of a consumer, ultimately when a household is found and purchased. Movement speed affects both demand and supply in the sense that the transitioning of stages is quickened and more responsive. (Indicated by a more rigid demand and supply curve).

Market Price

In economics Price is a linear function (straight line) of the proportion of houses for sale (positive slope), and also a linear function of the proportion of buyers (negative slope).Therefore , the variable ‘Market Price’ is calculated by 10 * the portion of ‘House’ in the active state (which is the supply) over the portion of ‘Consumers’ in the active state (which is the demand) Ultimately this presents the economic principles  that as Supply is directly related to Price and demand is inversely related to Price.

Note

Each simulation (with the same settings) will present a different and unique simulation. I have set a Random Boolean to the active component that randomizes the amount of Customers or houses that begin in their active state. The probability is only 0.008 but is useful in describing the effects on the market from various position’s and seeing unique models.  

References

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynuoZQbqeUg - Your First ABM/Part II

https://insightmaker.com/insight/35714/Foraging-Model

Difficulties with formulae and links

The Logistic Map is a polynomial mapping (equivalently, recurrence relation) of degree 2, often cited as an archetypal example of how complex, chaotic behaviour can arise from very simple non-linear dynamical equations. The map was popularized in a seminal 1976 paper by the biologist Robert May, in part as a discrete-time demographic model analogous to the logistic equation first created by Pierre François Verhulst. 

Mathematically, the logistic map is written

where:

 is a number between zero and one, and represents the ratio of existing population to the maximum possible population at year n, and hence x0 represents the initial ratio of population to max. population (at year 0)r is a positive number, and represents a combined rate for reproduction and starvation.
For approximate Continuous Behavior set 'R Base' to a small number like 0.125To generate a bifurcation diagram, set 'r base' to 2 and 'r ramp' to 1
To demonstrate sensitivity to initial conditions, try two runs with 'r base' set to 3 and 'Initial X' of 0.5 and 0.501, then look at first ~20 time steps

This model illustrates the current practice and consequences of government spending. Following the direction of the arrows from right to left the model shows the following sequence based on current practice:

Government Spending at a certain point leads to spending in excess of tax receipts. This will automatically lead to the issue of treasuries in the belief that the excess spending must be financed by borrowing (although the government has the capacity to create  money). This in turn will increase the national debt.

 Consequences that follow from this practice:

1) That national debt increases whenever the government spends in excess of tax receipts.

2) That the government must pay interest on the debt issued, which in turn increases and reinforces the need for government spending.

3) That the interest paid on treasuries will increase private sector income.

There is an alternative view, supported by Modern Monetary Theory, of how government spending can proceed. Please see this  Insight: 

https://insightmaker.com/insight/19954

THE BROKEN LINK BETWEEN SUPPLY AND DEMAND CREATES TURBULENT CHAOTIC DESTRUCTION

The existing global capitalistic growth paradigm is totally flawed

Growth in supply and productivity is a summation of variables as is demand ... when the link between them is broken by catastrophic failure in a component the creation of unpredictable chaotic turbulence puts the controls ito a situation that will never return the system to its initial conditions as it is STIC system (Lorenz)

The chaotic turbulence is the result of the concept of infinite bigness this has been the destructive influence on all empires and now shown up by Feigenbaum numbers and Dunbar numbers for neural netwoirks

See Guy Lakeman Bubble Theory for more details on keeping systems within finite working containers (villages communities)

A simple budget planning system.  What additional complexities can you add?

Based on G.P. Cimellaro et al. Framework for analytical quantification of disaster resilience Engineering Structures 32 (2010) 3639–3649 paper

This model shows the negative effects of COVID 19 outbreak in Philippines which has impacted the  economy and mortality. The relationship between COVID-19 to economic situation and death rate has been shown in the graph. Based on the model, lacking of government policy indicates an increased in COVID 19 cases. Thus, result in rapid increase of poverty caused by unemployment   and disruption of business establishments which is are both indicator of economic crises. Moreover, rapid increased of COVID cases and suffering due to economic crisis results to an increased of death rate.

Simple causal loop diagram of a compound interest savings account.

first draft with forked supply demand example intact

This page provides a structural analysis of POTUS Candidate Jim Webb. The method used is Integrative Propositional Analysis (IPA) available: ​ http://scipolicy.org/uploads/3/4/6/9/3469675/wallis_white_paper_-_the_ipa_answer_2014.12.11.pdf

This is an important Henry George insight; labor creates all wealth (rather than capital creating it).

Part 2 of Lab 1

This model demonstrates the intertwining relationship between the economic contribution of industrial logging and that of adventure tourism (dominated by mountain biking).

In terms of the revenue from industrial logging at Derby, it is driven by demand of timber and the timber price. However, the forest resources are limited, which will put constraints on the expansion of industrial logging due to regrowth rate and existing forestation.

The tourism can bring economic benefits to Derby from hospitality and selling tickets to local adventure activities. The hospitality income can be determined by the average length of holidaying at Derby and average local pricing for accommodation, food and beverages and related essentials. Tickets sales are largely affected by the similar factors such as average expense per activity and average number of activities that tourists usually choose. Having explained the streams of possible income from the tourism, the key driver for tourism income is the desire or demand to travel. Unlikely logging, tourism is renewable and perpetual. However, logging can be conceived as a major constraint on attracting as many tourists as the economy so desires.

This is because deforestation caused by logging will diminish the natural scenery at Derby and in turn, the tourist operations and attractions based upon natural scenery. Loss of forest resources is likely to make Derby less attractive to visitors.

In short, the tourism and logging both provides economic benefits to Derby but in a competing relationship. However, the sustainability possessed by tourism cannot be rivaled by industrial logging in long term. Logging revenue reveals its advantage at inception of observed time period. Such advantage wears out over the time due to reduction in resources and sluggish regrowth. Eventually. the tourism income turns into the major player. To understand how they co-exist, please simulate the model. 

An initial study of the economics of single use coffee pods.

Model-SIM from Chapter 3 of Wynn Godley and Marc Lavoie's Monetary Economics, adapted for an open economy. The model is stock-flow consistent with only government money--no bills or bonds. No central bank and interest rates do not change. Government spends buying output from the production sector. The production sector is passive turning over all revenue over to households. Households save out of income and spend partially spend out of wealth. Imports and exports pass through the production sector illustrating the idea that consumer households buy from domestic businesses that which they have imported. The model also tracks the sectoral balance flows and changes in equity. Sectoral flows and equity balances match each other dollar for dollar to satisfy the sectoral balances accounting identity (Household Saving - Consumption) + (Business Saving - Expenditure) + (Taxes - Government Spending) - (Exports - Imports) = 0. Since business investment occurs internally to the Business Sector, 

A Model for COVID-19 outbreak