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Computational Social Science
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 15:35:42
Abstract
The seminar aims at three-fold integration: (1) bringing modeling and computer simulation of techno-socio-economic processes and phenomena together with related empirical, experimental, and data-driven work, (2) combining perspectives of different scientific disciplines (e.g. sociology, computer science, physics, complexity science, engineering), (3) bridging between fundamental and applied work.
Objective
Participants of the seminar should understand how tightly connected systems lead to networked risks, and why this can imply systems we do not understand and cannot control well, thereby causing systemic risks and extreme events. They should also be able to explain how systemic instabilities can be understood by changing the perspective from a component-oriented to an interaction- and network-oriented view, and what fundamental implications this has for the proper design and management of complex dynamical systems. Computational Social Science and Global Systems Science serve to better understand the emerging digital society with its close co-evolution of information and communication technology (ICT) and society. They make current theories of crises and disasters applicable to the solution of global-scale problems, taking a data-based approach that builds on a serious collaboration between the natural, engineering, and social sciences, i.e. an interdisciplinary integration of knowledge.
Resources
Literature
Computational Social Science https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/323/5915/721.full.pdf Manifesto of Computational Social Science https://link.springer.com/article/10.1140/epjst/e2012-01697-8 Social Self-Organisation https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783642240034 How simple rules determine pedestrian behaviour and crowd disasters https://www.pnas.org/content/108/17/6884.short Peer review and competition in the Art Exhibition Game https://www.pnas.org/content/113/30/8414.short Generalized network dismantling https://www.pnas.org/content/116/14/6554.short Computational Social Science: Obstacles and Opportunities https://science.sciencemag.org/content/369/6507/1060?rss%253D1= Bit by Bit: Social Research in the Digital Age https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bit-Social-Research-Digital-Age-ebook/dp/B072MPFXX2/ Further literature will be recommended in the lectures.
Learning Materials (Links)
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- DS , DR , MSC
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Registration & Places
- Max Places
- 30
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| seminar | Computational Social Science |
|
2 h weekly |
Offered In
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GESS Science in Perspective (Only the topics listed in this paragraph can be chosen as GESS Science in Perspective. Further below you will find the "type B courses Reflections about subject specific methods and content" as well as the language courses. 6 ECTS need to be acquired during the BA and 2 ECTS during the MA Students who already took a course within their main study program are NOT allowed to take the course again.)
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Type A: Enhancement of Reflection Competence (Suitable for all students. Students who already took a course within their main study program are NOT allowed to take the course again.)
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Doctoral Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences (More Information at: )
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