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Opinion Dynamics and Sociophysics

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Encyclopedia of Complexity and Systems Science

Definition of the Subject

Sociophysics is the study of social questions by physicists using their physics methods. In contrast to biophysics, it is a field which is not yet very well established. Opinion dynamics is one of the most widespread topics of sociophysics.

Introduction

The application of concepts from the natural sciences to social sciences, partly to be reviewed here, is at least 25 centuries old. Then the Greek philosopher Empedokles stated (according to J. Mimkes) that humans are like liquids: Some mix easily like wine and water, and others like oil and water refuse to mix. We start with the Schelling model of 1971, which implemented this idea, and its criticism (see Social Processes, Simulation Models of). Then we will review opinion dynamics in large populations, summarizing only shortly other aspects like self-organization of hierarchies or competition between human languages.

Humans do not like to be treated like a number, and indeed the human brain is much more...

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Abbreviations

Cluster:

Clusters are sets of neighboring sites of the same type.

Ising model:

Each site carries a magnetic dipole which points up or down; neighboring dipoles “want” to be parallel.

Opinion dynamics:

How do people change opinions? Simulations usually ignore all details of the brain and represent the opinion by one or several numbers which can be changed due to contact with others.

Schelling model:

People belonging to different groups may produce segregated neighborhoods just by their personal preferences, not by outside force.

Sociophysics:

Application of methods from (mostly statistical) physics to human relations can be traced centuries backwards.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Theoretical Physics, Cologne University, Cologne, Germany

    Dietrich Stauffer

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  1. Dietrich Stauffer
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. RAMTECH LIMITED, 122 Escalle Lane, Larkspur, CA, 94939, USA

    Robert A. Meyers Ph. D. (Editor-in-Chief) (Editor-in-Chief)

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© 2009 Springer-Verlag

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Stauffer, D. (2009). Opinion Dynamics and Sociophysics. In: Meyers, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Complexity and Systems Science. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-30440-3_376

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