Dynamics and Evolution of Social Systems

Kluver, Jurgen

ISBN 10: 0792364430 / ISBN 13: 9780792364436

Edité par Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2000

Presents mathematical analysis of social systems. This book is for researchers and graduate students in the fields of theoretical sociology and social and general systems theory. Series: Theory and Decision Library A:. Num Pages: 292 pages, biography. BIC Classification: HPS; JH. Category: (P) Professional & Vocational; (UP) Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly; (UU) Undergraduate. Dimension: 235 x 155 x 17. Weight in Grams: 1330. . 2000. Hardback. . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland. N° de réf. du vendeur V9780792364436

Synopsis :

When I started with this book several years ago I originally intended to write an introduction to mathematical systems theory for social scientists. Yet the more I thought about systems theory on the one side and theoretical sociology on the other the more I became convinced that the classical mathematical tools are not very well suited for the problems of sociology. Then I became acquainted with the researches on complex systems by the Santa Fe Institute and in particular with cellular automata, Boolean networks and genetic algorithms. These mathematically very simple but extremely efficient tools are, in my opinion, very well appropriate for modeling social dynamics. Therefore I tried to reformulate several classical problems of theoretical sociology in terms of these formal systems and outline new possibilities for a mathematical sociology which is able to join immediately on the great traditions of theoretical sociology. The result is this book; whether I succeeded with it is of course up to the readers. As the readers will perceive, the book could not have been written by me alone but only by the joint labors of the computer group at the Interdisciplinary Center of Research in Higher Education at the University of Essen. The members of the group, Christina Stoica, Jom Schmidt and Ralph Kier, are named in several subchapters as co-authors. Yet even more important than their contributions to this book were the permanent discussions with them and their patience with my new and very speculative ideas. Many thanks.

Détails bibliographiques

Titre : Dynamics and Evolution of Social Systems
Éditeur : Kluwer Academic Publishers
Date d'édition : 2000
Reliure : Couverture rigide
Etat : New