A unified framework for analysis of individual-based models in ecology and beyond

Abstract

Individual-based models, 'IBMs', describe naturally the dynamics of interacting organisms or social or financial agents. They are considered too complex for mathematical analysis, but computer simulations of them cannot give the general insights required. Here, we resolve this problem with a general mathematical framework for IBMs containing interactions of an unlimited level of complexity, and derive equations that reliably approximate the effects of space and stochasticity. We provide software, specified in an accessible and intuitive graphical way, so any researcher can obtain analytical and simulation results for any particular IBM without algebraic manipulation. We illustrate the framework with examples from movement ecology, conservation biology, and evolutionary ecology. This framework will provide unprecedented insights into a hitherto intractable panoply of complex models across many scientific fields.