Agent generation for agent-based modeling systems

1. A method for assigning an attribute to an agent or a plurality of agents for use in an agent based model, comprising:

receiving or selecting a first numerical value for assigning an attribute of an agent in an agent-based model;

receiving or selecting a random numerical value;

blending the first and random numerical values, resulting in an intermediate value;

blending the intermediate result with the first numerical value, or the random numerical value, or with a second numerical value, resulting in an end value;

utilizing the end value to assign the attribute of the agent in the agent-based model;

repeating both of the receiving or selecting steps, both of the blending steps, and the utilizing step a plurality of times to define a plurality of attributes for the agent or to define an attribute for a plurality of agents; and

introducing said agent or agents to a stimulus and determining a reaction of said agent or agents to simulate human behavior, and wherein the first and second blending steps include blending the associated values according to the following equation:

g

⁡

(

u

1

,

u

2

)

=

{

(

u

1

+

u

2

)

2

2

if

⁢

⁢

u

1

+

u

2

<

1

2

-

(

2

-

u

1

-

u

2

)

2

2

otherwise

}

wherein u 1 represents a first value to be blended, u 2 represents a second value to be blended, and g(u 1 , u 2 ) represents an output of the blending step.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first numerical value, the random numerical value, the intermediate value and the second numerical values are each sampled from uniformly distributed variables.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first numerical value, the random numerical value, the intermediate value and the second numerical values each range between 0 and 1.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the second blending step includes blending the intermediate result with the first numerical value.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the second blending step includes blending the intermediate result with the random numerical value.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the second blending step includes blending the intermediate result with the second numerical value.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further includes assigning an attribute of the agent in the agent-based model by calculating the inverse of the end value with respect to the cumulative distribution function for the attribute.

8. The method of claim 1 further including the step of utilizing the first value to assign a supplemental attribute of the agent in the agent-based model, wherein the supplemental attribute is different from the attribute.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the attribute is income and the supplemental attribute is age.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the supplemental attribute is a predictive attribute with respect to the attribute.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of utilizing the first value to assign the supplemental attribute includes calculating the inverse of the first value with respect to the cumulative distribution function for the supplemental attribute.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the attribute includes at least one of sex, age, race, income, TV watching habits, Internet usage habits, radio listening habits, price sensitivity, purchase history, purchase occasions or quality sensitivity.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the end value is further manipulated before being utilized to assign the attribute of the agent.

14. The method of claim 1 further including the step of, after the second blending step, blending the end value with the first numerical value, or the random numerical value, or with a second numerical value, resulting in a supplemental end value, wherein the utilizing step includes assigning an attribute of the agent in the agent-based model, at least partially utilizing the supplemental end value.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is implemented on a processor which carries out both receiving or selecting steps, both blending steps, and the utilizing step.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of repeating both of the receiving or selecting steps, both of the blending steps, and the utilizing steps a plurality of times to define a plurality of attributes for the agent, and repeating the method for a plurality of agents such that each agent has a plurality of assigned attributes, and wherein the introducing step includes introducing each agent to a stimuli and determining the reaction of each agent to simulate human behavior.

17. A system for assigning an attribute to an agent or a plurality of agents for use in an agent-based model, comprising: a processor, wherein the system is configured to:

receive or select a first numerical value;

receive or select a random numerical value;

blend the first and random numerical values, resulting in an intermediate value;

blend the intermediate result with the first numerical value, or the random numerical value, or with a second numerical value, resulting in an end value;

utilize the end value, or a further manipulation thereof, to assign the attribute of the agent or the plurality of agents in the agent-based model;

wherein the system is configured to repeat both of the receive or select steps, both of the blending steps, and the utilize step a plurality of times to define a plurality of attributes for the agent or to define an attribute for a plurality of agents; and

wherein the system is configured to introduce said agent or agents to a stimulus and determine a reaction of said agent or agents to simulate human behavior, and wherein the wherein the system is configured to blend the associated values in the first and second blend steps according to the following equation:

g

⁡

(

u

1

,

u

2

)

=

{

(

u

1

+

u

2

)

2

2

if

⁢

⁢

u

1

+

u

2

<

1

2

-

(

2

-

u

1

-

u

2

)

2

2

otherwise

}

wherein u 1 represents a first value to be blended, u 2 represents a second value to be blended, and g(u 1 ,u 2 ) represents an output of the blending step.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the system includes a computer and software stored on tangible computer-readable media which, when read, causes the computer to perform the receiving or selecting functions, the blending functions, and the utilizing function.