Analysis and synthesis: multi-agent systems in the social sciences

Although they flow from a common source, the uses of multi-agent systems (or “agent-based computational systems” — ACE) vary between the social sciences and computer science. The distinction can be broadly summarised as analysis versus synthesis, or explanation versus design. I compare and contrast these uses, and discuss sufficiency and necessity in simulations in general and in multi-agent systems in particular, with a computer science audience in mind.