Applications of agent-based models for optimization problems: A literature review

Agent based models (ABM) have been recently applied to solve optimization problems whose domains present several inter-related components in a distributed and heterogeneous environment.
In this work we illustrate the state of the art related to the use and to the application of ABM as optimization technique, given their peculiarity in dealing with the representation and the simulation of complex systems.
After a description of the approach and a comparison with classical heuristics, an extensive review aimed at evaluating the impact of these methodologies in the Operational Research/Management Science literature is provided.