Cover; Half Title; Title Page; Copyright Page; Dedication; Table of Contents; Introduction; LECTURE 1: On The Mathematical Biology of Arms Races, Wars, and Revolutions; LECTURE 2: An Adaptive Dynamic Model of Combat; LECTURE 3: Imperfect Collective Security and Arms Race Dynamics: Why a Little Cooperation Can Make a Big Difference; LECTURE 4: Revolutions, Epidemics, and Ecosystems: Some Dynamical Analogies; LECTURE 5: A Theoretical Perspective on The Spread of Drugs; LECTURE 6: An Introduction to Nonlinear Dynamical Systems; References; Index
Summary
These lectures develop simple models of complex social processes using nonlinear dynamics and mathematical biology. Dynamical analogies between seemingly disparate social and biological phenomena, revolutions and epidemics, arms races, and ecosystem dynamics, are revealed and exploited. Nonlinear Dynamics, Mathematical Biology, and Social Science invites social scientists to relax, in some cases abandon, the predominant assumption of perfectly informed utility maximization and explore social dynamics from such perspectives as epidemiology and predator-prey theory. The volume includes a concentrated course on nonlinear dynamical systems
