In my final days as a student in the University of South Dakota’s Computer Science graduate program I defended my thesis. The defense of A Computer Model of National Behavior included a PowerPoint presentation, an open question-and-answer session, and a closed question and answer session. It represented a year of work. Over the past year I had

• Developed a formal proposal for the topic
• Presented at the USD Graduate Student Research Forum
• Collected data
• Written the computer logic to normalize and present the data
• Written the thesis computer logic
• Contacted domain-experts to give horizontal criticisms of the topic
• Written the actual thesis
• Written the thesis defense presentation
• Addressed numerous questions from my advisers

Of these, you can download the a Microsot Word version of the final draft version (17 MB) and the Microsoft PowerPoint version of the thesis defense presentation (3 MB).

After some thought, I am basing my thesis posts over the next week on a slightly earlier draft version, with some subtle alterations. The only final-and-true version of the work is available from the I.D. Weeks Library in Vermillion, SD. I will try to make a version of the GSRF PowerPoint presentation available at a latter time.

When I return from vacation, I will hyperlink as need be. In the meantime, I present….

A Computer Model of National Behavior…

Table of Contents

Table of Illustrations in Body

Acknowledgments

Chapter I Introduction

Chapter II Applicable Models

2.1 Introduction

2.2 War Games

2.3 Computer Games

2.4 Artificial Intelligence-based Approaches

2.5 Computer Simulation with Agents

Chapter III Overview of Methods for Building a Simulation

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Object-Oriented

3.3 Fuzzy Logic

3.4 Game Theory

3.5 Cellular Automata

3.6 Neural Networks

3.7 Genetic Algorithms

3.8 Genetic Programming

3.9 Simple and Complicated Data

Chapter IV A New Model of the Behavior of Nations

4.1 Objects and Data Types

4.2 Nations-in-Places

4.3 Entity Attributes

4.3.1 Introduction

4.3.2 Places

4.3.3 Nations

4.3.4 Nations-in-Places (NPs)

4.3.5 States

4.4 Attribute Formulae (not available as html)

Chapter V Verification and Validation

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Objective Tests (not available as html)

5.3 Subjective Tests (not available as html)

5.4 Specific Tests (not available as html)

Chapter VI Conclusions

Chapter VII Future Research

Bibliography

Appendix I Simulation Design

A.1 Introduction (not available as html)

A.2 Simulation Technical Issues (not available as html)

A.3 Open Source and Free Software

A.4 Platforms Used (not available as html)

A.5 Platforms Schematic (not available as html)

A.6 Helper Application Overview (not available as html)

A.7 Helper Application Diagram (not available as html)

A.8 Mapper in Use

A.9 Merge in Use (not available as html)

A.10 Report Generation Tools Overview (not available as html)

A.11 Report Generation Tool Schematic (not available as html)

Appendix B Gathering the Data (not available as html)

Appendix C Subjective Tests

C.1 Subjective Test Descriptions

C.2 Subjective Test Expert Tutorial

C.2.1 Simulation Reporting Document Tutorial

C.2.2 Introduction

C.2.3 Definitions

C.2.4 Report Details

C.2.5 The map

C.2.6 The Gauges

C.2.7 The Lists

C.2.8 Conclusion

C.3 Subjective Test Report

C.4 Expert Questionnaire

C.5 Response of Dr. Burleson

C.6 Response of Dr. Padovani

C.7 Response of Dr. Schorn

C.8 Other Subjective Findings

Appendix D Objective Tests (rest of Appendix D not yet available as html)

Appendix E Source Code (not available as html)