Multi-Agent Simulations of Intra-colony Violence in Ants

Date
2020-06
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Springer
Abstract
This paper seeks to elucidate key aspects of a rarely-studied interaction in ant colonies -- intra-colony violence -- using multi-agent-based computational simulations. A central finding is that intra-colony violence is heritable, though not prevalent. Results from our simulations reveal specific conditions in which such infrequent forms of violence occur and can be inherited, which in turn helps us understand why Atta cephalotes may persist killing colony members, even though it dampens colony carrying capacity. We also discuss the concerns and implications of our work for modeling conflict and violence more broadly, which in turn raises questions about the ontological nature of the computational and evolutionary models.
Description
Article submitted and approved for publication.
Keywords
Multi-Agent Simulations, Emergence, Ant Colonies, Violence
Citation
Martin, K., & Sengupta, P. (2020). Multi-Agent Simulations of Intra-colony Violence in Ants. "International Conference of Complex Systems: proceedings" (2020).