Some insights into the emergence of agent-based modelling

Agent-based modelling (ABM) has become a popular simulation analysis tool and has been used to examine systems from myriad domains. This article re-examines some of the scientific developments in computers, complexity, and systems thinking that helped lead to the emergence of ABM by shedding new light onto some old theories and connecting them to several key ABM principles of today. As it is often the case, examining history can lead to insightful views about the past, present, and the future. Thus, themes from cellular automata and complexity, cybernetics and chaos, and complex adaptive systems are examined and placed in historical context to better establish the application, capabilities, understanding, and future of ABM.