On Modeling and Analyzing Sparsely Networked Large-Scale Multi-agent Systems with Cellular and Graph Automata

Modeling, designing and analyzing large scale multi-agent systems (MAS) with anywhere from tens of thousands to millions of autonomous agents will require mathematical and computational theories and models substantially different from those underlying the study of smallto medium-scale MAS made of only dozens, or perhaps hundreds, of agents. In this paper, we study certain aspects of the global behavior of large ensembles of simple reactive agents. We do so by analyzing the collective dynamics of several related models of discrete complex systems based on cellular automata. We survey our recent results on dynamical properties of the complex systems of interest, and discuss some useful ways forward in modeling and analysis of large-scale MAS via appropriately modified versions of the classical cellular automata.