EcoLab is both the name of a software package and a research project
that is looking at the dynamics of evolution.
EcoLab the software package is now a fairly complete agent-based
simulation system, with the following features:
- The model is implemented as a C++ object. Support for more
advanced data structures and algorithms are available through C++'s
- A scripting language TCL can access the model's methods and
instance variables, allowing experiments to be set up dynamically at
- The model can be run in GUI mode through the use of Tk and BLT
widgets. Various graphs and histogramming tools are available for
- The same model can be run in batch mode by using a different script
- The model can be probed dynamically with the object
- The model can be saved to a checkpoint file, or transferred
periodically over a socket connection to another copy of Ecolab
acting as a visualisation client.
- Various types of random number generators are available through
the UNURAN library or through the GNUSL.
- A form of SPMD parallel programming is provided through
- EcoLab models may also use
library to implement a
distributed network of agents over an MPI-based cluster computer.
EcoLab is now hosted by
The official EcoLab code repository is located on my laptop, however
SourceForge will be used for:
- official production releases will be available through the
SourceForge file release system
- The sourcecode repository is replicated to SourceForge, and
available through a Web
If you wish to contribute code to EcoLab, you are welcome to send me
a complete tarball of the changed code (provided you identify
exactly which delta you started from), or you can set up your own
Aegis server, and allow me to pull aedist files from it (you can
pull aedist files from my repository using the above mentioned
replicated repository on sourceforge).
- Email lists for announcements and member discussion
- Bug tracking
If there is sufficient interest in using the SourceForge SVN system by
other developers, then I will consider trying to integrate that with
our Aegis system.
Please use reference 7 to cite EcoLab.
- Standish R.K. (2012) ``Complexity of
Networks (reprise)'', Complexity, 17, 50-61 arXiv:
- Standish R.K. (2010) ``Network Complexity of
Foodwebs", Proceedings Artificial Life XII,
Fellermann et al. (eds), (MIT Press: Cambridge, MA) 337-343. arXiv: 1008.3800
- Standish, R.K. and Madina, D. (2008)
``Classdesc and Graphcode: support for scientific
programming in C++'',
- Standish, R.K. (2008) ``Going Stupid with
EcoLab'', Simulation, 84, 611-618. arXiv: cs.MA/0612014
- Standish, R.K. (2008) ``Open Source
Frameworks'', Studies in Computational Intelligence, 115,
- Standish, R.K. and Madina, D. (2003)
``ClassdescMP: Easy MPI programming in
in Computational Science, Sloot et al. (eds),
2660, Springer, 896. arXiv:cs.DC/0401027
- Standish, R.K. and Leow, R. (2003) ``EcoLab:
Agent Based Modeling for C++
programmers'', in Proceedings SwarmFest 2003. arXiv:cs.MA/0401026
- Leow, R. and Standish, R.K. (2003) ``Running
C++ models under the Swarm
Environment'', in Proceedings SwarmFest 2003. arXiv:cs.MA/0401025
- Madina, D. and Standish, R.K. (2001)
``A system for reflection in
C++'', in Proceedings AUUG 2001:
Always on and Everywhere, 207. ISBN 0957753225
- Standish, R.K. (2000) ``Ecolab
4'', in Applied
Complexity: From Neural Networks to Managed Landscapes Halloy, S.
and Williams, T. (eds), (New Zealand Institute for Crop and Food
Research, Christchurch), 156-163.
- Standish, R.K. (2004) ``Ecolab, Webworld and
Artificial Life IX, Pollack, J. et al., (Cambridge, MA:
MIT Press), 358-363. arXiv:nlin.AO/0404011.
- Standish, R.K. (2002) ``Diversity
in Artificial Life VIII, Standish, RK, Bedau, MA and Abbass, HA
(eds) (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press), 131-137. arXiv:nlin.AO/0210026
- Standish, R.K. (2000) ``An Ecolab Perspective
on the Bedau Evolutionary
Statistics'', in Proceedings Artificial Life VII, Bedau, M.A. et al. (eds), (MIT
Press: Cambridge, Mass.), 238-242. arXiv:nlin.AO/0004026
- Standish, R.K. (2000) ``The Role of
Innovation within Economics'', in Commerce, Complexity and Evolution, Barnett, W. et al (eds)
(Cambridge University Press, New York), pp61-79.
- Standish, R.K. (1999) ``Statistics of Certain
Models of Evolution'', Phys. Rev.
E, 59 1545-1550. arXiv:physics/9806046
- Standish, R.K. (1998) ``Cellular Ecolab'', in Complex
Systems '98, Standish et. al. (eds) (Complexity Online) and and
- Standish, R.K. (1996) ``Ecolab: Where to now?'' in Complex
Systems: From Local Interactions to Global Phenomena, R. Stocker,
H. Jelinek, B. Durnota and T. Bossomeier (IOS: Amsterdam) 1996,
- Standish, R.K. (1994) ``Population models with Random
Embryologies as a Paradigm for Evolution'', in Complex Systems:
Mechanism of Adaption, R.J. Stonier and X.H. Yu (eds), p45-51