Energy Flow and Conservation in an Artificial Life Agent Model

Unlike microscopic physics models, agent-based artificial life models are commonly constructed without a strict energy conservation rule. We report on the effects of incorporating energy conservation in our predatorprey based agent model. We discuss the role of microscopic model parameters that give rise to macroscopic emergent effects that can be measured. Arguably nonconserving models like ours can be described as mesoscopic. We show that the effects of an energy conservation law for reproducing animats are no different from having a breeding success regulation rule in our model.