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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Modeling Technology Evolution Using Generalized Genotype-Phenotype Maps, C. Jason Woodard, Eric K. Clemons
Modeling Technology Evolution Using Generalized Genotype-Phenotype Maps, C. Jason Woodard, Eric K. Clemons
C. Jason Woodard
Modeling open-ended technological evolution is notoriously challenging. The most successful models to date have been grounded in specific domains such as electronic circuit design. This paper presents an alternative approach based on a generalization of Kauffman’s NK model. In this approach, boundedly rational agents combine components into products and systems whose value is determined by a random fitness landscape in which components may vary in their pleiotropy, or the number of genotypic functions they enable. The authors are developing a family of agent-based models using this framework, the first of which explores the evolution of platform architectures. Preliminary results from …
Platform Competition In Digital Systems: Architectural Control And Value Migration, C. Jason Woodard
Platform Competition In Digital Systems: Architectural Control And Value Migration, C. Jason Woodard
C. Jason Woodard
Digital systems give rise to complex layered architectures in which products at one layer serve as platforms for applications and services in adjacent layers. Platform owners face a difficult balancing act. On one hand, they need to make their platforms attractive to potential complementors by mitigating the threat of architectural lock-in. On the other hand, platform owners must be careful not to give away too much too soon, or risk being unable to recoup their own investments. This paper presents an agent-based model that explores this tension at both the firm and industry levels. Computational experiments show that boundedly rational …