Mathematics of Complex Social Systems

Many real-world processes in complex social systems can naturally be modeled by systems of agents interacting in networks. Approaches reach from informal descriptions of interaction dynamics and their computational implementations to more formal, mathematical models. In cooperation with the Berlin Mathematical School and the School of Complex Adaptive Systems at Arizona State University, this summer school shall bring together an international and interdisciplinary group of Master and Ph.D. students to learn about different modeling approaches for complex social systems through a series of expert lectures and hands-on workshops. Topics will include agent-based and network models with applications, for example, in opinion dynamics and the evolution of cooperation, as well as economics and archeological research. We invite students from mathematics and related fields with a strong interest in societal phenomena and students from humanities or social sciences with a strong interest in quantitative research. While experience in computational or mathematical modeling is not required, a working knowledge of Python will be necessary to participate in the hands-on sessions.

The summer school is part of the Thematic Einstein Semester “The Mathematics of Complex Social Systems: Past, Present, and Future”. The semester is organized within the framework of the Berlin Mathematics Research Center Math+ and supported by the Einstein Foundation Berlin. We are committed to fostering an atmosphere of respect, collegiality, and sensitivity. Please read our MATH+ Collegiality Statement.

Invited lecturers:

Joffa Applegate (Arizona State University)

Sven Banisch (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology)

Renaud Lambiotte (University of Oxford)

Iza Romanowska (Aarhus University)

Martin Rosvall (Umea University)

Ingo Scholtes (University of Wuppertal)

Shade Shutters (Arizona State University)

Organizational details:

Pandemic conditions permitting, the school shall take place as an on-site event, in Berlin Dahlem, at Freie Universität Berlin and Zuse Institute Berlin. Participants are expected to attend the entire 7 days program. The number of participants is limited to 40, there is no tuition fee.

Application / Registration:

To apply for the summer school please use the application link. There, please register for the summer school and, under “your submissions”, upload a pdf-file including a scientific CV and a short letter of interest (about half a page), where you should explain your motivation to participate in the event. The submission deadline is April 1st, 2022. Due to a limited number of participants, the organizers will then inform applicants about acceptance.

MATH+ organizers:

Nataša Djurdjevac Conrad (ZIB)

Stefan Klus (U Surrey)

Luzie Helfmann (ZIB)

Stefanie Winkelmann (ZIB)

Sarah Wolf (FU/GCF)