John Holland’s ECHO
John Holland’s ECHO: “Echo is a simulation tool developed to investigate mechanisms which regulate diversity and information-processing in systems comprised of many interacting adaptive agents, or complex adaptive systems (CAS). Echo agents interact via combat, trade and mating and develop strategies to ensure survival in resource-limited environments. Individual genotypes encode rules for interactions. In a typical simulation, populations of these genomes evolve interaction networks which regulate the flow of resources. Resulting networks resemble species communities in ecological systems. Flexibly defined parameters and initial conditions enable researchers to conduct a range of “what-if” experiments.”