Adithya P. 2026 | BASIS Independent McLean
- Project Title: A Standard Schelling Model
- BASIS Independent Advisor: Aaron Glanzer
- Internship Location: Mason Experimental Geometry Lab
- Onsite Mentor: Professor Michael Jarret
In this project, we introduce a unifying framework for Schelling-type segregation models. They are defined as parametrized probility distributions on a graph using the Metropolis-Hastings distribution with specificed proposal and acceptance distributions. The framework extends to multiple demographies and vacancy types. We further provide a "practitioner's cookbook" that reframes examples like Schelling 1971 and Ising’s Model as different proposal-accept distributions. The cookbook is such that changing the ingredients creates a better recipe (a type of model).
My Posts
Week 5: Simulation and Explanation
April 15, 2026
With a simulation created, now would be the ideal time to take a step back and delve into exactly what is going on, especially since a term like “Metropolis-Hastings Schelling simulation” sounds complicated when really, it’s a pretty simple concept. Consider a grid where people are either red or blue and have only one preference […]
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Week 3: Implementation-ish
April 7, 2026
Since my last post, I’ve made solid progress on the implementation side of things. I got a working version of the Metropolis-Hastings Schelling simulation running on simple grid graphs. It was genuinely exciting to see it come together — you start with a randomly scattered configuration of agents, run a few thousand iterations, and watch […]
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Blog #2: Model Interpretation
March 9, 2026
In the last week, I have read about the foundations of Schelling-like models. I have read literature that reformulates the classic schelling agent-based model as a graph coloring model. I have also read about the classic Schelling segregation problem as a graph coloring model combined with Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) techniques. I must say […]
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Intro Blog: A Standard Schellings Model
March 3, 2026
Hi, I’m Adithya Prabha and I’m currently working in algorithms at a lab in George Mason University (GMU). I’m working with Schelling’s segregation model in an attempt to make the model more “unified”. What exactly does that mean? We’re redefining “Schelling models” as Markov chains driven by Metropolis-Hastings algorithms. Think of it kinda like this: […]
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