Eur. Phys. J. Special Topics 214, 77-108 (2012)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjst/e2012-01689-8

Regular Article

Towards a living earth simulator

¹ ISTC-CNR, Rome, Italy
² ETH Zurich, Switzerland
³ DFKI, Germany
⁴ Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
⁵ UCL, UK
⁶ University of Edinburgh, UK
⁷ Coventry University, UK
⁸ CPM, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
⁹ CRESS, University of Surrey, UK
¹⁰ Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research (IGD), Germany
¹¹ Linköping University, Sweden
¹² Disney Research Zurich, Switzerland

^a e-mail: mario.paolucci@istc.cnr.it

Received: 1 August 2012
Revised: 9 October 2012
Published online: 5 December 2012

Abstract

The Living Earth Simulator (LES) is one of the core components of the FuturICT architecture. It will work as a federation of methods, tools, techniques and facilities supporting all of the FuturICT simulation-related activities to allow and encourage interactive exploration and understanding of societal issues. Society-relevant problems will be targeted by leaning on approaches based on complex systems theories and data science in tight interaction with the other components of FuturICT. The LES will evaluate and provide answers to real-world questions by taking into account multiple scenarios. It will build on present approaches such as agent-based simulation and modeling, multiscale modelling, statistical inference, and data mining, moving beyond disciplinary borders to achieve a new perspective on complex social systems.