Complexity In Social Systems And Academies

This book explores the complexity of physical and social systems, describing problems related to science policy, networks, values, and education. It stresses that the best advocates for the management of general ideas for the benefit of society are academies that unite top scientists and scholars representing all fields of knowledge. That is why in the context of complexity, the activities of academies are also described, including the current tasks of academies and academia in general.

There is no term that better describes the essential features of human society than complexity. On various levels, from the decision-making processes of individuals, through to the interactions between individuals leading to the spontaneous formation of groups and social hierarchies, up to the collective, herding processes that reshape whole societies, all these features share the property of irreducibility, i.e., they require a holistic, multi-level approach formed by researchers from different disciplines. This Special Issue aims to collect research studies that, by exploiting the latest advances in physics, economics, complex networks, and data science, make a step towards understanding these economic and social systems. The majority of submissions are devoted to financial market analysis and modeling, including the stock and cryptocurrency markets in the COVID-19 pandemic, systemic risk quantification and control, wealth condensation, the innovation-related performance of companies, and more. Looking more at societies, there are papers that deal with regional development, land speculation, and the-fake news-fighting strategies, the issues which are of central interest in contemporary society. On top of this, one of the contributions proposes a new, improved complexity measure.

This edited book considers social systems as self-organizing structures that reproduce new structural elements endowed with certain functional connections. The authors analyze innovative processes in social systems, leading to the sustainable convergence of knowledge and the emergence of technologies that improve the level of material well-being in society. The book summarizes research results in the field of digitalization and reveals deep connections with social problems. In addition, the book presents a whole array of innovative research on social systems management and the application of knowledge and intelligence to the solution of social problems. The contributing scholars and practitioners reflect on various types of social systems and assess the influence of disruptive factors from natural and coupled human-natural environments, discussing possible mechanisms for their neutralization. Sustainable development of social systems is among the most important tasks facing the contemporary world. The contributed book highlights challenges to the sustainability of social systems, draws sociotechnical images of the future world order generated by the rapid development of intellectual technologies, and critically analyzes promising concepts for more sustainable social future. Among the discussed topics in the book are social governance, digital economy, technological landscapes, social systems modeling and simulation, cyber-social systems, knowledge-based innovation systems, complex processes in social systems, institutional arrangements, and other advancing research areas. The high-quality and original studies presented in the book appeal to those interested in broadening their perspectives on complexity science, complex social systems research, complex systems management, advanced technological development in social systems, etc. Since the book is rich with well-thought theories, advanced research approaches, and interdisciplinary research results, it becomes a great source of new ideas and insights on complex social systems.

A comprehensive text that reviews the methods and technologies that explore emergent behavior in complex systems engineering in multidisciplinary fields In Emergent Behavior in Complex Systems Engineering, the authors present the theoretical considerations and the tools required to enable the study of emergent behaviors in manmade systems. Information Technology is key to today’s modern world. Scientific theories introduced in the last five decades can now be realized with the latest computational infrastructure. Modeling and simulation, along with Big Data technologies are at the forefront of such exploration and investigation. The text offers a number of simulation-based methods, technologies, and approaches that are designed to encourage the reader to incorporate simulation technologies to further their understanding of emergent behavior in complex systems. The authors present a resource for those designing, developing, managing, operating, and maintaining systems, including system of systems. The guide is designed to help better detect, analyse, understand, and manage the emergent behaviour inherent in complex systems engineering in order to reap the benefits of innovations and avoid the dangers of unforeseen consequences. This vital resource: Presents coverage of a wide range of simulation technologies Explores the subject of emergence through the lens of Modeling and Simulation (M&S) Offers contributions from authors at the forefront of various related disciplines such as philosophy, science, engineering, sociology, and economics Contains information on the next generation of complex systems engineering Written for researchers, lecturers, and students, Emergent Behavior in Complex Systems Engineering provides an overview of the current discussions on complexity and emergence, and shows how systems engineering methods in general and simulation methods in particular can help in gaining new insights in complex systems engineering.

Complexity has become a central topic in certain sectors of theoretical physics and chemistry (for example, in connection with nonlinearity and deterministic chaos). Also, mathematical measurements of complexity and formal characterizations of this notion have been proposed. The question of how complex systems can show properties that are different from those of their constituent parts has nurtured philosophical debates about emergence and reductionism, which are particularly important in the study of the relationship between physics, chemistry, biology and psychology. This book offers a good presentation of those topics through a truly interdisciplinary approach in which the philosophy of science and the specialized topics of certain sciences are put in a dialogue. Contents:The Notions of Complexity and Emergence:What is Complexity? (E Agazzi)On Levels and Types of Complexity and Emergence (H Lenk & A Stephan)Formal Metatheoretical Criteria of Complexity and Emergence (C U Moulines)Beyond Reductionism and Holism. The Approach of Synergetics (B Kanitscheider)Kolmogorov Complexity (J Mosterín)Modèles de Structures Émergentes dans les Systèmes Complexes (J Petitot)Complexity and Emergence in Natural Science:Emergence in Physics: The Case of Classical Physics (R Omnés)Classical Properties in a Quantum-Mechanical World (A Cordero)Reduction, Integration, Emergence and Complexity in Biological Networks (J Ricard)The Emergence of the Mind:Complexity and the Emergence of Meaning: Toward a Semiophysics (F Tito Arecchi)Complexity and the Emergence of Intentionality: Some Misconceptions (M Casartelli)Can Supervenience Save the Mental? (L Montecucco)From Complexity Levels to the Separate Soul (G Del Re) Readership: Graduate students, academics and researchers. Keywords:

Cyber–Physical–Human Systems A comprehensive edited volume exploring the latest in the interactions between cyber–physical systems and humans In Cyber–Physical–Human Systems: Fundamentals and Applications, a team of distinguished researchers delivers a robust and up-to-date volume of contributions from leading researchers on Cyber–Physical–Human Systems, an emerging class of systems with increased interactions between cyber–physical, and human systems communicating with each other at various levels across space and time, so as to achieve desired performance related to human welfare, efficiency, and sustainability. The editors have focused on papers that address the power of emerging CPHS disciplines, all of which feature humans as an active component during cyber and physical interactions. Articles that span fundamental concepts and methods to various applications in engineering sectors of transportation, robotics, and healthcare and general socio-technical systems such as smart cities are featured. Together, these articles address challenges and opportunities that arise due to the emerging interactions between cyber–physical systems and humans, allowing readers to appreciate the intersection of cyber–physical system research and human behavior in large-scale systems. In the book, readers will also find: A thorough introduction to the fundamentals of cyber–physical–human systems In-depth discussions of cyber–physical–human systems with applications in transportation, robotics, and healthcare A comprehensive treatment of socio-technical systems, including social networks and smart cities Perfect for cyber–physical systems researchers, academics, and graduate students, Cyber–Physical–Human Systems: Fundamentals and Applications will also earn a place in the libraries of research and development professionals working in industry and government agencies.

Chaos and complexity are the new buzz words in both science and contemporary society. The ideas they represent have enormous implications for the way we understand and engage with the world. Complexity Theory and the Social Sciences introduces students to the central ideas which surround the chaos/complexity theories. It discusses key concepts before using them as a way of investigating the nature of social research. By applying them to such familiar topics as urban studies, education and health, David Byrne allows readers new to the subject to appreciate the contribution which complexity theory can make to social research and to illuminating the crucial social issues of our day.

This volume describes frontiers in social-behavioral modeling for contexts as diverse as national security, health, and on-line social gaming. Recent scientific and technological advances have created exciting opportunities for such improvements. However, the book also identifies crucial scientific, ethical, and cultural challenges to be met if social-behavioral modeling is to achieve its potential. Doing so will require new methods, data sources, and technology. The volume discusses these, including those needed to achieve and maintain high standards of ethics and privacy. The result should be a new generation of modeling that will advance science and, separately, aid decision-making on major social and security-related subjects despite the myriad uncertainties and complexities of social phenomena. Intended to be relatively comprehensive in scope, the volume balances theory-driven, data-driven, and hybrid approaches. The latter may be rapidly iterative, as when artificial-intelligence methods are coupled with theory-driven insights to build models that are sound, comprehensible and usable in new situations. With the intent of being a milestone document that sketches a research agenda for the next decade, the volume draws on the wisdom, ideas and suggestions of many noted researchers who draw in turn from anthropology, communications, complexity science, computer science, defense planning, economics, engineering, health systems, medicine, neuroscience, physics, political science, psychology, public policy and sociology. In brief, the volume discusses: Cutting-edge challenges and opportunities in modeling for social and behavioral science Special requirements for achieving high standards of privacy and ethics New approaches for developing theory while exploiting both empirical and computational data Issues of reproducibility, communication, explanation, and validation Special requirements for models intended to inform decision making about complex social systems