Modelling and Simulation in the Social Sciences from the Philosophy of Science Point of View

2013-03-09 Social Science

Author : R. Hegselmann
Release : 2013-03-09
Genre : Social Science
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 861/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis Modelling and Simulation in the Social Sciences from the Philosophy of Science Point of View by : R. Hegselmann

Download or read book Modelling and Simulation in the Social Sciences from the Philosophy of Science Point of View written by R. Hegselmann. This book was released on 2013-03-09. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Model building in the social sciences can increasingly rely on well elaborated formal theories. At the same time inexpensive large computational capacities are now available. Both make computer-based model building and simulation possible in social science, whose central aim is in particular an understanding of social dynamics. Such social dynamics refer to public opinion formation, partner choice, strategy decisions in social dilemma situations and much more. In the context of such modelling approaches, novel problems in philosophy of science arise which must be analysed - the main aim of this book. Interest in social simulation has recently been growing rapidly world- wide, mainly as a result of the increasing availability of powerful personal computers. The field has also been greatly influenced by developments in cellular automata theory (from mathematics) and in distributed artificial intelligence which provided tools readily applicable to social simulation. This book presents a number of modelling and simulation approaches and their relations to problems in philosophy of science. It addresses sociologists and other social scientists interested in formal modelling, mathematical sociology, and computer simulation as well as computer scientists interested in social science applications, and philosophers of social science.

The Explanatory Power of Models

2013-11-11 Political Science

Author : Robert Franck
Release : 2013-11-11
Genre : Political Science
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 766/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis The Explanatory Power of Models by : Robert Franck

Download or read book The Explanatory Power of Models written by Robert Franck. This book was released on 2013-11-11. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book progressively works out a method of constructing models which can bridge the gap between empirical and theoretical research in the social sciences. It aims to improve the explanatory power of models. The issue is quite novel, and has benefited from a thorough examination of statistical and mathematical models, conceptual models, diagrams and maps, machines, computer simulations, and artificial neural networks.

The Science and Art of Simulation I

2017-04-07 Computers

Author : Michael M. Resch
Release : 2017-04-07
Genre : Computers
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 629/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis The Science and Art of Simulation I by : Michael M. Resch

Download or read book The Science and Art of Simulation I written by Michael M. Resch. This book was released on 2017-04-07. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The new book series “The Science and Art of Simulation” (SAS) addresses computer simulations as a scientific activity and engineering artistry (in the sense of a technē). The first volume is devoted to three topics: 1. The Art of Exploring Computer Simulations Philosophy began devoting attention to computer simulations at a relatively early stage. Since then, the unquestioned point of view has been that computer simulation is a new scientific method; the philosophy of simulation is therefore part of the philosophy of science. The first section of this volume discusses this implicit, unchallenged assumption by addressing, from different perspectives, the question of how to explore (and how not to explore) research on computer simulations. Scientists discuss what is still lacking or considered problematic, while philosophers draft new directions for research, and both examine the art of exploring computer simulations. 2. The Art of Understanding Computer Simulations The results of computer simulations are integrated into both political and social decisions. It is implicitly assumed that the more detailed, and consequently more realistic, a computer simulation is, the more useful it will be in decision-making. However, this idea is by no means justified. Different types of computer simulations have to be differentiated, which in turn requires the specific skill of understanding computer simulation results. The articles in this section examine the capabilities and limits of simulation results in political and social contexts, exploring the art of understanding computer simulation results. 3. The Art of Knowing through Computer Simulations? The advent of computer simulation in today’s scientific practices challenges the order of science. What kind of knowledge is gained through computer simulations is the key question in this section. Computer simulations are often compared to experiments or to arguments, and the transformation of our traditional scientific notions might be more challenging than expected – these Ideas are put forward in the third section to conceptualize the art of knowing through computer simulations.

Science in the Age of Computer Simulation

2010-10-15 Science

Author : Eric Winsberg
Release : 2010-10-15
Genre : Science
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 056/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis Science in the Age of Computer Simulation by : Eric Winsberg

Download or read book Science in the Age of Computer Simulation written by Eric Winsberg. This book was released on 2010-10-15. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Computer simulation was first pioneered as a scientific tool in meteorology and nuclear physics in the period following World War II, but it has grown rapidly to become indispensible in a wide variety of scientific disciplines, including astrophysics, high-energy physics, climate science, engineering, ecology, and economics. Digital computer simulation helps study phenomena of great complexity, but how much do we know about the limits and possibilities of this new scientific practice? How do simulations compare to traditional experiments? And are they reliable? Eric Winsberg seeks to answer these questions in Science in the Age of Computer Simulation. Scrutinizing these issue with a philosophical lens, Winsberg explores the impact of simulation on such issues as the nature of scientific evidence; the role of values in science; the nature and role of fictions in science; and the relationship between simulation and experiment, theories and data, and theories at different levels of description. Science in the Age of Computer Simulation will transform many of the core issues in philosophy of science, as well as our basic understanding of the role of the digital computer in the sciences.

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