A second area in which we are forced to simplify our models is in the amount of asymmetry we have in the system. Like homogeneity, symmetry assumptions dramatically simplify calculations, and so they are used even though asymmetry may be a pervasive and influential feature of social systems. We know from some mathematical models that simple asymmetries in, say, information can alter our prediction of a single, well-behaved equilibrium point to one where there are multiple equilibria linked to, say, agent expectations. Computational models that use agent-based objects can easily accommodate
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