Computer simulations have been used for almost as long as there have been computers. The earliest scientific use of computer simulations were for physics and engineering. Will this bridge hold up to strong winds? What is happening inside of a nuclear explosion? Increasingly people are also employing computer simulation to understand social behavior both in humans and other animals. How can cooperative institutions form out of the ”state of nature”? How can groups of scientists come to know so much about nature? In the last sixty years, researchers have use mathematical and computer models to answer such questions. This class is about the nuts and bolts of computer simulation of social behavior and about the underlying theory behind this work. The course also discusses the philosophical issues that arise when evaluating the use of computational and mathematical models in economics and philosophy.

During the course, students will gain hands-on experience developing simulations in Python. Although some previous programming experience will be helpful, the course will be completely self-contained.