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Competition for a limited resource is the hallmark of many complex systems, and often, that resource turns out to be the physical space itself. In this work, we study a novel model designed to elucidate the dynamics and emergence in complex adaptive systems in which agents compete for some spatially spread resource. Specifically, in the model, the dynamics result from the agents trying to position themselves in the quest to avoid physical crowding experienced locally. We characterize in detail the dependence of the emergent behavior of the model on the population density of the system and the individual-level agent traits such as the extent of space an agent considers as her neighborhood, the limit of occupation density one tolerates within that neighborhood, and the information accessibility of the agents about neighborhood occupancy. We show that the efficiency with which the agents utilize the physical space shows transitions at two values of densities. The first of these transitions demarcates efficient and inefficient phases of the system, and the second one signifies the density at which the inefficiency is maximum. We show that the variation of inefficiency with respect to the information accessible to the agents shows opposing behavior above and below this second transition density. We also look into the inequality of resource sharing in the model and show that although inefficiency can be a non-monotonic function of information depending upon the parameters of the model, inequality, in general, decreases with information. Our study sheds light on the role of competition, spatial constraints, and agent traits within complex adaptive systems, offering insights into their emergent behaviors., Comment: 14 figures, 20 pages

Although the United States has the best innovation ecosystem in the world, according to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), American students have weak math and science skills compared with those in the rest of the world. Even students at the top tier pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) at lower rates in the U.S. than in other countries, and there is a significant global shift in technical and scientific talent from the U.S. to Asia, which will have a corresponding impact on the research and development (R&D) global infrastructure. The number of U.S.-trained STEM professionals is inadequate to meet the nation's needs, given current pipeline and participation rates. Additionally, the diversity in race/ethnicity of the national population is not reflected in the population of STEM professionals. Demographic trends reinforce this shortage and indicate that an increasing number of STEM professionals will soon be retiring. Without counteracting factors, the estimated ratio of 22-year-olds who will earn scientific and engineering bachelor's degrees and could enter a STEM profession in the United States will continue to drop, and the flow of international students, scientists, and engineers to the U.S. has decreased as other countries recognize the economic importance of a technical workforce and implement policies that entice their citizens to remain at home. The authors advocate the need to encourage more U.S.-based individuals to consider STEM-related fields, an emergent need that presents an opportunity for the growing population of Latinos in the U.S. This report synthesizes existing literature regarding Latino participation in STEM-related fields, describes trends in degree attainment and employment levels for these fields, and chronicles obstacles and opportunities affecting Latino representation. (Contains 2 footnotes.) [For companion qualitative study, see ED502064.]