Computational and Mathematical Modeling in the Social Sciences

by Scott de Marchi

• ISBN13: 9780521619134
• ISBN10: 0521619130
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-08-22
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Mathematical models in the social sciences have become increasingly sophisticated and widespread in the last decade. This period has also seen many critiques, most lamenting the sacrifices incurred in pursuit of mathematical rigor. If, as critics argue, our ability to understand the world has not improved during the mathematization of the social sciences, we might want to adopt a different paradigm. This book examines the three main fields of mathematical modeling - game theory, statistics, and computational methods - and proposes a new framework for modeling. Unlike previous treatments which view each field separately, the treatment provides a framework that spans and incorporates the different methodological approaches. The goal is to arrive at a new vision of modeling that allows researchers to solve more complex problems in the social sciences. Additionally, a special emphasis is placed upon the role of computational modeling in the social sciences.

Author Biography

Scott de Marchi is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Duke University

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Prelude	xi
1 Not All Fun and Games: Challenges in Mathematical Modeling	1	(33)
2 Looking for Car Keys Without Any Street Lights	34	(44)
3 From Curses to Complexity: The Justification for Computational Modeling	78	(35)
4 Why Everything Should Look Like a Nail: Deriving Parsimonious Encodings for Complex Games	113	(31)
5 KKV Redux: Deriving and Testing Logical Implications	144	(32)
6 A Short Conclusion	176	(5)
References	181	(10)
Index	191