Modelado de sistemas complejos mediante simulación basada en agentes y mediante dinámica de sistemas.

This paper compares two approaches in complex systems modeling: agent-based modeling and system dynamics. The comparison is undertaken within the general framework of the process of scientific modeling. We argue that the most important difference between the two approaches appears when the modeler builds an abstraction of the target system to develop a formal model from it. This initial difference extends to the following stages of the modeling process, making the two approaches clearly distinctive. Finally, we outline the main general factors that may make one approach more suitable than the other; nevertheless, we also emphasize that modeling the same target system using both techniques seems to be a fruitful and worthy activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]