Malaria kills around 2 million people per year, predominantly attributable to P. falciparum infection of children in sub-Saharan African. Interventions such as the provision of bednets, or mass treatment with antimalarial drugs, which reduce the impact of malaria, generally reduce all-cause childhood mortality by 25-33%, suggesting that indirect malaria mortality

Abstract. Despite several examples of deployed agent systems, there remain barriers to the large-scale adoption of agent technologies. In order to understand these barriers, this paper considers aspects of marketing theory which deal with diffusion of innovations and their relevance to the agents domain and the current state of diffusion of agent technologies. In particular, the paper examines the role of standards in the adoption of new technologies, describes the agent standards landscape, and compares the development and diffusion of agent technologies with that of object-oriented programming. The paper also reports on a simulation model developed in order to consider different trajectories for the adoption of agent technologies, with trajectories based on various assumptions regarding industry structure and the existence of competing technology standards. We present details of the simulation model and its assumptions, along with the results of the simulation exercises.

Despite several examples of deployed agent systems, there remain barriers to the large-scale adoption of agent technologies. In order to understand these barriers, this paper considers aspects of marketing theory which deal with diffusion of innovations and their relevance to the agents domain and the current state of diffusion of agent technologies. In particular, the paper examines the role of standards in the adoption of new technologies, describes the agent standards landscape, and compares the development and diffusion of agent technologies with that of objectoriented programming. The paper also reports on a simulation model developed in order to consider different trajectories for the adoption of agent technologies, with trajectories based on various assumptions regarding industry structure and the existence of competing technology standards. We present details of the simulation model and its assumptions, along with the results of the simulation exercises. 1

Abstract. To what extent do networks of influence between market traders impact upon their individual performance and the performance of the specialists in which they operate? Such a question underpins the content of this study, as an investigation is conducted using the JCAT double auction market simulation platform, developed as a part of the CAT Market Design Tournament. Modifications to the JCAT platform allow for influential networks to be established between traders, across which they transmit information about their trading experiences to their connected peers. Receiving traders then use this information (which is the product of an n-armed bandit selection algorithm) to guide their own selection of market specialist and trading strategy. These modifications give rise to a sequence of experimental tests, the documented results of which provide an answer to the question phrased above. Analysis of the results shows the benefits of taking advice as a collective and demonstrates the properties of the communities which emerge as a result of engaging in widespread social contact.