<h2>Partial answer:</h2>
<p>Douglas Hofstadter has written quite a lot about this from a more philosophical approach.
His style isn't for everyone, I think it's introduced well in <a href="http://people.whitman.edu/%7Eherbrawt/classes/110/hofstadter.PDF" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this chapter ('Ant Fugue')</a>.</p>
<p>For more applied work from the same, you might look at Mitchell and Hofstadter's CopyCat model of analogies (described briefly <a href="http://web.cecs.pdx.edu/%7Emm/amcas.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a>, as well as on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copycat_(software)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">wikipedia</a>).</p>
<p>All this aside, I don't know of any empirical work along the same lines, but I wouldn't rule it out.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-19T02:42:54.247Z
Thanks for the paper. I think Mitchell is a good place to start. I don't know what to make of Hofstadter's chapter as yet, I'll have to see what I can glean from it.
Joebevo
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-18T13:36:20.103Z
2014-02-18T13:36:20.103Z
2020-06-17T09:55:31.633Z
Eoin
<p>I think that certain aspects of ant colony behavior seem almost like economic decision-making in behavior. There are also links between ant colony optimization and features of the brain like selective attention. I was just wondering if any research group has taken up the problems of cognition from the perspectives of economics and/or ant colonies.</p>

<p>It may seem to be mostly analogy on the surface, but the interface of the three seems like a fruitful area to look for new ideas.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-18T07:41:10.140Z
Agreed! A very interesting prospect. Welcome to cogsci.SE.
Nick Stauner
<cognitive-modeling><computational-modeling><economics>
Are there any agent based cognitive models that are inspired by complex systems studies of ant colonies and economies?
Joebevo
# Are there any agent based cognitive models that are inspired by complex systems studies of ant colonies and economies?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-02-18)

I think that certain aspects of ant colony behavior seem almost like economic decision-making in behavior. There are also links between ant colony optimization and features of the brain like selective attention. I was just wondering if any research group has taken up the problems of cognition from the perspectives of economics and/or ant colonies.

It may seem to be mostly analogy on the surface, but the interface of the three seems like a fruitful area to look for new ideas.

**Tags:** cognitive-modeling, computational-modeling, economics

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Agreed! A very interesting prospect. Welcome to cogsci.SE.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-02-18. Score: 4

## Partial answer:

Douglas Hofstadter has written quite a lot about this from a more philosophical approach.
His style isn't for everyone, I think it's introduced well in [this chapter ('Ant Fugue')](http://people.whitman.edu/%7Eherbrawt/classes/110/hofstadter.PDF).

For more applied work from the same, you might look at Mitchell and Hofstadter's CopyCat model of analogies (described briefly [here](http://web.cecs.pdx.edu/%7Emm/amcas.pdf), as well as on [wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copycat_(software))).

All this aside, I don't know of any empirical work along the same lines, but I wouldn't rule it out.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks for the paper. I think Mitchell is a good place to start. I don't know what to make of Hofstadter's chapter as yet, I'll have to see what I can glean from it.  

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