Batch Criteria

See Batch Criteria for a thorough explanation of batch criteria, but the short version is that they are the core of SIERRA–how to get it to DO stuff for you. The following batch criteria are defined which can be used with any Project.

Population Size

Changing the population size to investigate behavior across scales within a static arena size (i.e., variable density). This criteria is functionally identical to Variable Population Density in terms of changes to the template XML file, but has a different semantic meaning which can make generated deliverables more immediately understandable, depending on the context of what is being investigated (e.g., population size vs. population density on the X axis).

Cmdline Syntax

population_size.{model}{N}[.C{cardinality}]

  • model - The population size model to use.

    • Log - Population sizes for each experiment are distributed 1…N by powers of 2.

    • Linear - Population sizes for each experiment are distributed linearly between 1…N, split evenly into 10 different sizes.

  • N - The maximum population size.

  • cardinality - If the model is Linear, then this can be used to specify how many experiments to generate; i.e, it defines the size of the linear increment. Defaults to 10 if omitted.

Examples

  • population_size.Log1024: Static population sizes 1…1024

  • population_size.Linear1000: Static population sizes 100…1000 (10)

  • population_size.Linear3.C3: Static population sizes 1…3 (3)

  • population_size.Linear10.C2: Static population sizes 5…10 (2)

Constant Population Density

Changing the population size and arena size together to maintain the same population size/arena size ratio to investigate behavior across scales.

Note

This criteria is for constant density of robots as population sizes increase. For variable robot density, use Population Size or Variable Population Density.

Cmdline Syntax

population_constant_density.{density}.I{Arena Size Increment}.C{cardinality}

  • density - <integer>p<integer> (i.e. 5p0 for 5.0)

  • Arena Size Increment - Size in meters that the X and Y dimensions should increase by in between experiments. Larger values here will result in larger arenas and more robots being simulated at a given density. Must be an integer.

  • cardinality How many experiments should be generated?

Examples

  • population_constant_density.1p0.I16.C4: Constant density of 1.0. Arena dimensions will increase by 16 in both X and Y for each experiment in the batch (4 total).

Variable Population Density

Changing the population size to investigate behavior across scales within a static arena size. This criteria is functionally identical to Population Size in terms of changes to the template XML file, but has a different semantic meaning which can make generated deliverables more immediately understandable, depending on the context of what is being investigated (e.g., population density vs. population size on the X axis).

Note

This criteria is for variable density of robots as population sizes increase. For constant robot density, use Constant Population Density.

Cmdline Syntax

population_variable_density.{density_min}.{density_max}.C{cardinality}

  • density_min - <integer>p<integer> (i.e. 5p0 for 5.0)

  • density_max - <integer>p<integer> (i.e. 5p0 for 5.0)

  • cardinality How many experiments should be generated? Densities for each experiment will be linearly spaced between the min and max densities.

Examples

  • population_variable_density.1p0.4p0.C4: Densities of 1.0,2.0,3.0,4.0.