The forum discussion centers on the intersection of mathematics and economics, particularly through the lens of physicist Richard Feynman's theories. Participants debate the classification of economics as a social science and its potential to incorporate mathematical models from physics, such as statistical mechanics and kinetic gas equations, to predict social phenomena. The conversation highlights the evolving nature of social sciences and the impact of advancements in neuroscience on disciplines like psychology and sociology. Key references include the application of mathematical principles to model urban development and emergency evacuations.
PREREQUISITESStudents, researchers, and professionals in economics, social sciences, and physics who are interested in the mathematical modeling of social behaviors and the interdisciplinary connections between these fields.
hmmmm... Perhaps "Economics" should be a sub-category of "Quantum Physics"?Greg Bernhardt said:
OmCheeto said:
I think it is in many aspects, but I also think that the social sciences are going to be endured by mathematics at some point, you can do, and it is actually done, some hard predictions in social sciences. You can actually model some social phenomena and behavior using physical models, I have seen some papers on this kind of topics, applying some statistical mechanics equation that describes some nucleation process to the formation of the centers of cities, or some kinetic gas equation to describe evacuation in emergency situations for some building and staff like that. It is pretty gross for what "social" means, but as science advances, I think we are going to see more and more of this. At this point people can see the activation of neurons one by one, all this techniques will have an impact in psychology and sociology, all the advances in neurosciences will have an impact in the future on how all those disciplines like social sciences and psychology are driven.cosmik debris said: