The dynamic geometry of geographical vector agents

This paper introduces vector agents (VA), an approach to impose a systematic framework on the geometric element of Torrens and Benenson’s Geographic Automata System (GAS). Both schemes use vector geometry as an antidote to the geographically unrealistic regular tessellation cellular automata (CA). The work reported here explores the properties of irregular and dynamic VAs in particular, a subclass of geometry not hitherto covered in detail in a spatial agent modelling context. Three realisations of vector agent geometry change are reported in this paper: the Brownian motion algorithm (through midpoint displacement); edge displacement; and vertex displacement. Through these manipulators, it is shown that vector agents offer the ability to explicitly control geometric form through the alteration of simple parameters (with the potential for further generalisation and transformation operations). 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.