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860-0011-00L 6 Credits MSC D-GESS
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Complex Social Systems: Modeling Agents, Learning, and Games - With Coding Projec

Lecturers & Examiners: Prof. Dr. Dirk Helbing, Dr. Nino Antulov-Fantulin
Only for Science, Technology, and Policy MSc. Prerequisites: Good mathematical skills, basic programming skills, elementary probability and statistics.
VVZ CR n/a

Last Updated: 2026-02-05 15:35:01

Abstract

This course introduces mathematical and computational models to study techno-socio-economic systems and the process of scientific research.Students develop a significant project to tackle techno-socio-economic challenges in application domains of complex systems. They are expected to implement a model and communicating their results through a seminar thesis and a short oral presentation.

Objective

The students are expected to know a programming language and environment (Python, Java or Matlab) as a tool to solve various scientific problems. The use of a high-level programming environment makes it possible to quickly find numerical solutions to a wide range of scientific problems. Students will learn to take advantage of a rich set of tools to present their results numerically and graphically. The students should be able to implement simulation models and document their skills through a seminar thesis and finally give a short oral presentation.

Content

Students are expected to implement themselves models of various social processes and systems, including agent-based models, complex networks models, decision making, group dynamics, human crowds, or game-theoretical models. Part of this course will consist of supervised programming exercises. Credit points are finally earned for the implementation of a mathematical or empirical model from the complexity science literature and the documentation in a seminar thesis.

Resources

Lecture Notes

Agent-Based Modelinghttps://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-24004-1_2Social Self-Organizationhttps://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783642240034Traffic and related self-driven many-particle systemsReviews of Modern Physics 73, 1067https://journals.aps.org/rmp/abstract/10.1103/RevModPhys.73.1067An Analytical Theory of Traffic Flow (collection of papers)https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261629187Pedestrian, Crowd, and Evacuation Dynamicshttps://www.research-collection.ethz.ch/handle/20.500.11850/45424The hidden geometry of complex, network-driven contagion phenomena (relevant for modeling pandemic spread)https://science.sciencemag.org/content/342/6164/1337Further literature will be recommended in the lectures.

Literature

Literature, in particular regarding computer models in the (computational) social sciences, will be provided in the course.

Learning Materials (Links)

General Information

Language
English
Levels
MSC
Frequency
Yearly recurring

Examination

Type
graded semester performance
Students have to implement an established mathematical model from the computational social science literature in MATLAB or/and python. During the course students have to submit a short proposal specifying their project. At the end, projects must be documented in a 15 page seminar thesis and presented in a 15 minute seminar talk. The thesis should include a discussion of the mathematical model, its theoretical concept, properties of the model, and parameter dependencies, but also possible practical implications.

Registration & Places

Priority: Registration for the course unit is only possible for the primary target group

Course Components

Type Title Time & Place Hours
seminar Complex Social Systems: Modeling Agents, Learning, and Games
  • Mon 16:15-18:00 (HG E 7)
2 h weekly
independent project Complex Social Systems: Modeling Agents, Learning, and Games - With Coding Project No time listed 2 h weekly

Offered In