A multi-agent system simulation framework with optimized spatial neighborhood search

BioMASS is an innovative multi-agent spatial model designed to enhance computational efficiency in simulations involving complex sensory and locomotion functions. Traditional agent-based modeling (ABM) platforms suffer from performance degradation as the number of agents and their perception ranges increase, resulting in a quadratic growth in computational cost. BioMASS addresses this issue employing a quadruply linked list structure, which allows constant-time neighborhood search and movement. This feature allows BioMASS to simulate large populations in dynamic environments efficiently. The model has been successfully applied to marine ecosystem simulations, demonstrating its ability to track species interactions across multiple trophic levels in real-time, outperforming existing platforms. • BioMASS model uses a quadruply linked list to optimize agent-based spatial simulations. • The model enables constant-time search and movement for large-scale simulations. • BioMASS is an open-source tool for scalable simulations of multi-agent systems.