Smart Agents Don’t Need Kin - Evolving Specialisation and Cooperation with Tags


CPM Report No.: 02-89
By: David Hales
Date: 15th February 2002.


Abstract

In a previous paper (Hales 2002) we presented simulation results that demonstrated the evolution of “tag based” groups composed of cooperative (in-group altruistic) individual agents performing specialised functions. We hypothesised that a key to the efficiency of the specialisation process was the “searching strategy” employed by agents to locate other members of their group with the required skills for given task contexts. Specifically, we hypothesised that “smart” searching strategies would improve efficiency over the “dumb” strategies implemented so far. In this paper we test this hypothesis. Even when the costs for smart searching are much higher, very substantial increases in donation between non-kin are produced.


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