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Coordination in scaling actor constellations: the advantages of small–world networks
Koordination bei der Skalierung von Akteurskonstellationen
[collection article]
Abstract "The emergence of order in systems with many actors or agents is an interesting problem for sociology as well as for computer science. Both disciplines can contribute equally to its examination. In this article sociology provides a solution for 'situation of double contingency'
referring to Niklas ... view more
"The emergence of order in systems with many actors or agents is an interesting problem for sociology as well as for computer science. Both disciplines can contribute equally to its examination. In this article sociology provides a solution for 'situation of double contingency'
referring to Niklas Luhmann's theory of autopoietical systems. This is a coordination problem in social systems. First of all computer science can contribute techniques from the field of simulation. With these techniques it is possible to examine current as well as non–existing or no longer existing environments. Observations of the latter make it possible to draw further conclusions on the importance of the currently existing environment. At last computer science can utilise this knowledge about social processes especially in the domain of multi–agent systems.
Starting the from sociological theory of the dyadic 'situation of double contingency' as mentioned above, our main focus is on large actor populations and their capability to produce order depending on different actors' constellations. Based on the theory for dyadic actor constellations we present our model of the actor. We do not want the actors to identify
one another, so we do not need to modify this model if we scale up population size next and introduce constellations. Thereby we take regular, random and small–world constellations into account. After describing our measures of order we study emergence of order in different constellations for varying population sizes. By means of simulation experiments we show
that systems with small–worlds exhibit highest order on large populations which gently decreases on increasing population sizes." (author's abstract)... view less
Keywords
sociology; network; social system; contingency; system theory; memory; social actor; sociological theory; reminiscence; scaling; dyad; computer; Luhmann, N.; computer science; population; science; coordination; social order; social structure; sozionics
Classification
General Concepts, Major Hypotheses and Major Theories in the Social Sciences
Methods and Techniques of Data Collection and Data Analysis, Statistical Methods, Computer Methods
Method
basic research
Free Keywords
Multiagent System
Collection Title
Socionics: scalability of complex social systems
Editor
Florian, Michael; Fischer, Klaus
Document language
English
Publication Year
2005
Publisher
Springer
City
Berlin
Page/Pages
p. 199-217
Series
Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS), 3413
ISBN
3-540-30707-9
Licence
Deposit Licence - No Redistribution, No Modifications
Data providerThis metadata entry was indexed by the Special Subject Collection Social Sciences, USB Cologne