Class: Micro::MarkovAgent

Inherits:
Object
  • Object
show all
Defined in:
lib/micro_agent.rb

Overview

An agent is a autonomous entity that interacts with the Micro::World. Each agent has a collection of properties that are updated over time (i.e. with each call to #step_agents in the #World).

Dependancy relationships can be setup between an agent’s parameters. So that properties:

a.depends_on b.depends_on c
d.depends_on b.depends_on c
b.depends_on c

This is useful where one parameter is required for calculation of another. For example, calculating a speed parameter might require you to know the values of the distance and time parameters. #step_agents calculates dependancies in the correct order, making that a parameter’s dependants are calculated first . Note however that cyclic depends_on relationships aren’t supported.

The runtime complexity of processing dependacies is still O(n) (where n is the number of parameters) even with complex dependency trees thanks to the niftyness of dynamic programming algorithms.

Instance Attribute Summary collapse

Instance Method Summary collapse

Constructor Details

#initialize(parameters) ⇒ MarkovAgent

Returns a new instance of MarkovAgent.



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# File 'lib/micro_agent.rb', line 69

def initialize(parameters)
  @parameters = parameters
  @already_done = Hash.new
end

Instance Attribute Details

#parameters ⇒ Object

Returns the value of attribute parameters.



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# File 'lib/micro_agent.rb', line 67

def parameters
  @parameters
end

Instance Method Details

#[](parameter_name) ⇒ Object 



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# File 'lib/micro_agent.rb', line 86

def [](parameter_name)
  @parameters[parameter_name].value
end

#step(number = 1) ⇒ Object

Updates the parameter value using the parameter’s change function. Each parameter is updated with probability equal to its probability value.



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# File 'lib/micro_agent.rb', line 77

def step(number = 1)
  number.times do
    @already_done.clear
    @parameters.each_value do |parameter|
      process(parameter)
    end
  end
end

#values ⇒ Object 



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# File 'lib/micro_agent.rb', line 90

def values
  value_hash = {}
  @parameters.each_pair { |key, parameter| value_hash[key.to_s] = parameter.value }
  value_hash
end