Behavioral theory in geography attempts to describe and explain the spatial activities of individuals in terms of fundamental perceptual and cognitive processes. As applied to surfing, behavioral theory can give us greater insight into localism (territoriality) and provides a context for understanding the complex cognitive processes involved in choosing where to surf and in choosing where to pa...

In polygynous ungulates, males may achieve fertilization through the use of alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs), discrete phenotypic variations evolved to maximize fitness. ARTs are often associated with different male spatial strategies during rut, from territoriality female-following. Although variation in space patterns rutting ungulates is known be largely affected by distribution femal...

Predation by coyotes (Canis latrans) upon domestic sheep is a serious economic problem for some sheep producers in the United States. One of the few depredation control techniques that has been quantitatively analyzed is denning, the process of removing pups from the dens of depredating coyotes. The significance of coyote prey selection and territoriality are discussed with regard to the effica...

Cooperation in organisms, whether bacteria or primates, has been a difficulty for evolutionary theory since Darwin. On the assumption that interactions between pairs of individuals occur on a probabilistic basis, a model is developed based on the concept of an evolutionarily stable strategy in the context of the Prisoner's Dilemma game. Deductions from the model, and the results of a computer t...

Smart objects are a representation strategy for games and virtual worlds, in which information about object interactions is distributed into the objects themselves: an object knows how it can be used, what kinds of effects it has, etc. In this work, we describe a prototype that aims to explore social simulation using smart objects. We extend the concept of smart objects to include a model of hu...

of the Dissertation .......................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgments ....................................................................................................................... vii Biographical Sketch ..............................................................................................................

1 Most research on the sources of militarized conflict between nation-states has emphasized characteristics of the states themselves or of the larger interstate system, with little emphasis on the geographic context of relations between states. Vasquez (1998), for example, finds that realist variables such as capabilities and alliances account for most variables and hypotheses used in quantitat...