======================== CALL FOR PAPERS =========================
SAGE - Simulation-Transactions of the SCS
(SCI-E, JCR)
Special Issue on Agent-based Modeling & Simulation of
Complex Adaptive Communication Networks & Environments
(CACOONS)
==================================================================
Network simulation is typically an important step in the development of most modern communication networks. It can involve the use of generalized tools such as Matlab and C++ in addition to a variety of basic network simulation tools such as NS2, NS3, OPNET, OMNET++ etc. demonstrating the vibrant simulation culture prevalent in communication networks. While these simulation tools have proven their worth for focused application case studies, it can become increasingly difficult to use existing tools for modeling complex communication, variability or mobility in the network as well as for modeling complex environments surrounding the network nodes (Which can e.g. be important in the case of Wireless networks in general and Sensor Networks in particular, with their primary goal being the sensing of different environment parameters).
Unlike specialized simulation paradigms/tools, Agent-based Modeling (ABM) is a flexible general-purpose modeling and simulation paradigm well-established in various scientific disciplines for the modeling of complex phenomena emanating from Complex Adaptive Systems (cas), systems where a large number of communicating components interact in a nonlinear manner, thereby resulting in advanced adaptive behavior observable at the global scale. ABM has previously found uses extensively in social, biological, ecological, archeological and other scientific domains.
Due to recent rapid advancements in Communication technology, today’s Communication networks such as those formed by wireless sensor, ad-hoc, Peer-Peer (P2P), multiagent, nano-Communication and mobile robot communication networks, are expected to grow larger and more complex than ever previously anticipated. Thus, these networks can give rise to complex global emergent phenomena whose effects cannot be easily traced back to the individual components. Such patterns can be important to understand since, at times, they can have considerable effect on various aspects of a network such as unanticipated traffic congestion, unprecedented increase in communication cost or perhaps a complete network/grid shutdown. Some well-known examples include the emergence of cascading faults in Message Queue-based Financial transactions after New Year holidays, recent cascading failures reported in the Amazon.com cloud, effects of viral and worm infections in large networks, effects of torrent and other complex traffic on ISP network planning and corporate networks, multi-player gaming and other similar P2P traffic in company intranets, self-organization and self-assembly related effects in sensor and robotic communication networks etc.
Recent work has demonstrated that ABM can also offer a much shorter learning curve and ability to flexibly model Complex phenomena in communication networks (e.g. such as networks with a larger scale, heterogeneous or mobile nodes etc.). ABM can thus prove to be suitable in application case studies, testing of new communication protocols, investigation of problems in large-scale networks before or after deployment or for modeling improvement in existing algorithms and hardware.
The goal of this special issue is to solicit papers, not submitted elsewhere for review, on the state-of-the-art with a focus on the use of modeling and simulation for theoretical frameworks, application case studies as well as novel communication models of Complex Adaptive Communication Networks and Environments. Suggested topics include but are not limited to:
- Wireless Sensor and Actuator Networks (Routing, data aggregation, fusion, energy consumption and any other issues)
- Complex environments surrounding sensors and mobile robots
- Mobile and swarm robotic networks
- Nano-Communication networks
- Mobile ad-hoc networks
- P2P networks (Structured and Unstructured etc.)
- Engineered self-organization for Green computing in networks
- Planning and management of home and corporate (Wired/Wireless) Networks
- Modeling and Simulation of Multiagent Systems (including Mobile agents, Learning and Communicating agents etc.)
- Effects of cooperative, competitive agents and peers on networks
- Game theoretical approaches in communication networks
- Fault-tolerant and self-healing large scale networks
- Emergent effects of security and trust policies in large scale network
- Use of agent-based modeling for or in conjunction with network emulation
- Service Oriented Architectures, Semantic web, use of XML/SOAP etc.
- Client Server, three tier and n-tiered architectures
- Pervasive Communication networks, for example, those using Mobile Devices, RFIDs and others
- Simulation of Internet and Intranet scale networks
- Complex Network analysis itself or else combined with agent-based modeling for classifying or Modeling and Simulation of large networks (including measures of Degree, eccentricity and other Centralities, Clustering Coefficients, Matching indices etc.) of Networks
- Internet based Social Networking (including the use of Social Network Analysis)
- Coupling Formal Specification Models with agent-based modeling of Communication Networks (using frameworks such as DEVS, FABS etc.)
- Verification, Validation and Accreditation of network simulation models
- Signaling and Communication Networks inside living beings (cells, animals, plants etc.) or between living or intelligent beings
- Modeling Communication Networks as Social Simulation problems
- Critical Comparative Reviews of studies using traditional Network Simulators and agent-based modeling
- Use of agent-based, multiagent tools and toolkits (NetLogo, Repast, Mason, Jade etc.) for modeling of communication networks

Submission process:
Full papers, describing original, previously unpublished research work, reviews, experimental efforts and practical experiences are solicited. The due dates given below are firm and must be observed in order to ensure timely reviews and, in the event of acceptance, inclusion of a paper in the special issue.
Instructions for Manuscript Preparation

For manuscript formatting and other guidelines, please visit the Author Guidelines for “Simulation”.

Submissions for Full Paper Review
All manuscripts must be submitted electronically through the paper submission system to the “Simulation” Manuscript Submission System. In the cover letter, author(s) must specifically mark the paper as intended for this special issue as follows: "Submission for the Special Issue of Simulation: Modeling and Simulation of Complex Adaptive Communication Networks and Environments."

Note: Manuscripts must not have been previously published or be submitted for publication elsewhere. Each submitted manuscript must include title, names, authors' affiliations, postal and e-mail addresses and a list of keywords. For multiple author submission, please identify the corresponding author. Details on expansion of existing conference papers are given on the Journal website.
Links:
Submission System: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/simulation
Author Guidelines: http://scs.org/?q=node/92
Special Issue: http://scs.org/node/289

Due Dates

Full Papers Due (Extended) May 31, 2012
Notification of Acceptance June 30, 2012
Minor Revisions Due July 31, 2012
Major Revisions & Final Papers Due September 30, 2012
Publication Expected Spring 2013

Final paper submissions
Each final submission must be prepared based on the Simulation journal requirements (see Author Guidelines for “Simulation” page).

Guest Editors of the Special Issue:
Muaz Niazi, University of Stirling, Scotland, muaz.niazi@gmail.com, Amir Hussain, University of Stirling, Scotland, ahu@cs.stir.ac.uk
http://www.uk.sagepub.com/repository/binaries/pdf/SIM-Cacoons.pdf
http://scs.org/simulation/specialissues?q=node/289