ICTS

The theme of the Fourth Summer Program on Dynamics of Complex Systems 2019 (DCS2019) is “Social Sciences & Economics”.

One of the major areas of study in complexity science is in the realm of Humanities and Social Sciences that deals with the theoretical understanding of the evolution and development of societies and social thoughts - their structure, function, interaction and dynamics. Most processes here are based on collective behaviorcunder a set of evolvable norms. Studies have been done to understand how ancient societies have evolved and conditions under which they have disappeared; evolution of thoughts that influence the course of social structure; diffusion of information in collectives and emergence of innovation and new practices. Such studies involve deciphering the role of collective cognition in using technology, such as the internet and other institutions, and their role in economic activities (pricing, markets, etc.) that influence decision making under different conditions. The breadth of such complexity studies span language evolution to environment, climate to social epidemiology and financial markets. This also requires involvement of large scale data extraction through crowd sourcing, cell phones, patent databases, etc. Specialized theoretical and computational methods are employed in these studies, which are usually not taught in regular courses. DCS2019 aims to expose the methods and problems used in complexity studies in Social Sciences and Economics and serve as a platform for interdisciplinary interactions between social scientists and computational scientists.

This two month long program will consist of the following activities:

• 15 - 31 May, 2019 : The two week long Summer School will introduce participants to the most frequently used mathematical and computational methods. They are - 
  • Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Game Theory
  • Agent Based Models or Individual Based Models (ABM or IBM)
  • Network Analysis
  • Time Series Analysis
     
• 31 May - 08 July, 2019 : Summer research program. A few selected fellows will get a chance to work on a project mentored by subject experts.
   
• 08 - 12 July, 2019 : One-week Discussion Meeting. This will have talks by researchers from different areas in Social Sciences with interest in methodologies and applications. The summer research fellows will also present their work. Considerable time will be reserved for discussions and interactions.
   
• Throughout the summer months, there will also be seminar series and visitors program.
   

We especially encourage early graduate students, postdocs, and young faculty, interested in developing quantitative skills to apply in the above-mentioned areas, to apply for participation in the school. Applications from exceptional advanced undergraduate students may also be considered, depending on their level of preparation. Travel and local support is available. Number of seats in the summer school is limited to 40. Workshop participation is by invitation.