Course Title

Modelling and Simulation of Social & Cultural Phenomena

Course Code

DCH 418

Course Type

Elective

Level

Master’s

Year / Semester

1^st / 1^st (Subject to change)

Instructor’s Name

George Artopoulos (Lead Instructor), Theodoros Christoudias 

ECTS

5

Lectures / week

1 (1h)

Laboratories / week

1 (2h)

Course Purpose and Objectives

The course will introduce students to modeling and simulation of complex phenomena, such as the impact of built environment on human behavior in order to understand how patterns emerge from the interactions of people with historical built environments and natural environmental characteristics. Students will thus be able to better contextualize historical events as parts of a larger, more complex system of interacting parameters.

Learning Outcomes

Students will familiarize themselves with simulation and analysis tools, data, visualizations, publications and computational resources in order to engage in interdisciplinary activities including simulations for the study of the use and evolution of heritage places in the past, as well as for archaeological sites and museum spaces for better management, better arrangement of artifacts, increased security and communication and enhancing the visitors’ experience.

Prerequisites

None

Course Content

• Introduction to self-organization, emergence and the modeling complex systems
• Agent-based modeling
• Social behavior and spatial organization
• Crowd simulation
• Social experiments and computing
• Managing complexity

Teaching Methodology

Lectures, Exercises

Bibliography

1. Batty, M. Cities and complexity: under- standing cities with cellular automata, agent- based models, and fractals.
2. Romanowska, I. Across Space and Time.
3. Unity. Unity game Engine, from https://unity3d.com/
4. Scopigno, R, Interactive Visualization for Cultural Heritage – Current Capabilities and Open Issues.
5. de Laat, R., & Van Berlo, L. Integration of BIM and GIS: The development of the CityGML GeoBIM extension.
6. Pelechano, N., Allbeck, J.M. and Badler, N.I. Virtual crowds: Methods, simulation, and control.

Assessment

75% exam; 25% coursework

Language

English