Quantitative sociodynamics

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Quantitative Sociodynamics outlines a strategy for interdisciplinary model building, focusing on a quantitative analysis of behavioral changes through social interactions. The foundational methods for modeling complex systems—stochastic methods and nonlinear dynamics—originated in physics but have proven effective in fields like chemistry, biology, economics, and social sciences. This work offers a unified overview of various stochastic methods, their interrelations, and properties, while also introducing key nonlinear dynamics concepts such as synergetics and chaos theory. The text discusses how these concepts can be applied to social phenomena and presents a fundamental dynamic model that incorporates decision-theoretical approaches, potentially transforming perspectives within social sciences. It encompasses established models like the logistic equation, gravity model, diffusion models, evolutionary game theory, and social field theory, while also revealing new findings. The book includes examples of opinion formation, migration, social field theory, and the self-organization of behavioral conventions, supported by computer simulations. It serves as a valuable resource for both social and natural scientists interested in applying stochastic and synergetics concepts to interdisciplinary issues.