Animating Schelling’s segregation model

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Recent blog post on Animations in R inspired me to write a code that generates animations of simulation model. For this task I have chosen Schelling’s segregation model.

Having written the code I have found that one year ago a similar code has been proposed. However, the implementation model is different so I thought it is a nice comparison.

Here is the code implementing the model:

# 0 – empty
# 2 – first agent type color
# 4 – second agent type color

# initialize simulation
# size      – square size
# perc.full – percentage of lots to be occupied
init <- function(side, perc.full) {
    size <- floor(side ^ 2 * perc.full / 2)
    state <- matrix(0, side, side)
    occupied <- sample(side ^ 2, 2 * size)
    state[occupied] <- c(2,4)
    return(state)
}

# plot simulation state
# state – simulation state
# i     – simulation iteration
do.plot <- function(state, i) {
    side <- dim(state)[1]
    x <- rep(1:side, side)
    y <- rep(1:side, each = side)
    par(fin=c(4,4), fig=c(0,1,0,1))
    plot(x , y, axes = F, xlab=“”, ylab=“”, col = state,
         main = paste(“Step”, i), pch = 19, cex = 40 / side)
}

# perform one step of simulation
# state     – simulation state
# threshold – percent of required agents of the same color
#             in neighborhood
# radius    – neighborhood radius
sim.step <- function(state, threshold, radius) {
    mod.1 <- function(a, b) { 1 + ((a 1) %% b) }
    div.1 <- function(a, b) { 1 + ((a 1) %/% b) }

    unhappy <- rep(NA, length(state))
    side <- dim(state)[1]
    check <- (-radius):(radius)
   
    #find unhappy agents
    for (n in which(state > 0)) {
      x <- div.1(n, side)
      y <- mod.1(n, side)
      x.radius <- mod.1(check + x, side)
      y.radius <- mod.1(check + y, side)
      region <- state[y.radius, x.radius]
      similar <- sum(region == state[n]) 1
      total <- sum(region > 0) 1
        unhappy[n] <- (similar < total * threshold)
    }
    vunhappy <- which(unhappy)

    # move unhappy agents
    vunhappy <- vunhappy[sample.int(length(vunhappy))]
    empty <- which(state == 0)
    for (n in vunhappy) {
      move.idx <- sample.int(length(empty), 1)
      state[empty[move.idx]] <- state[n]
      state[n] <- 0
      empty[move.idx] <- n
    }
    return(state)
}

library(animation)

# simple wrapper for animation plotting
go <- function() {
    s <- init(51, 0.75)
    for (i in 1:50) {
        do.plot(s, i)
        last.s <- s
        s <- sim.step(s, 0.6, 1)
        if (identical(last.s, s)) { break }
    }
    for (j in 1:4) {
        do.plot(s, i)
    }
    ani.options(interval = 5 / (i + 2))
}

saveGIF(go())

and a sample animation it generates:


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