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Collective Dynamics, Decision-Making and Self-Organization in Complex Systems

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Computing and Artificial Intelligence".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 1136

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Informatics and Engineering Systems, University of South Carolina Upstate, Spartanburg, SC 29306, USA
Interests: AI; blockchain; complex system governance; engineering management; Industry 5.0; IoT; risk management; sustainability
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Collective dynamics is the study of how the interactions between individuals in a system lead to system-level behaviors and phenomena. It can be applied to a variety of systems, including animal groups, human societies, companies in complex supply networks, vehicular traffic, and crowds. The study of collective dynamics is based on the idea that each individual in a system has their own decision policy which interacts with other participants. For example, in animal groups, social feedback between individuals can magnify differences over time, reinforcing leader and follower roles.

The various systems in collective dynamics make decisions for their benefit and the benefit of the collective. In this case, decision-making is the process of making choices by identifying a decision, gathering information, and assessing alternative resolutions. Using a step-by-step decision-making process can help you make more deliberate, thoughtful decisions by organizing relevant information and defining alternatives. However, there is a scarcity of research addressing decision-making in the context of collective dynamics.

Moreover, if the various systems are left in a state of self-organization such that order emerges from local interactions between parts of a system (the parts could be complex systems themselves) that were initially disordered, then the decision-making process for the benefit of the individual and the collective is called into question, especially in complex situations characterized by ambiguity, uncertainty, emergence, non-ergodicity, and non-monotonicity.

We are therefore interested in articles that investigate collective dynamics, with emphasis on decision-making and self-organization in complex systems. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Individual dynamics in collective dynamics;
  • Collective dynamics in complex systems;
  • Collective dynamics in system of systems;
  • Decision-making in complex systems;
  • Theories in collective dynamics;
  • Modeling collective dynamics;
  • Application case studies;
  • Effects of self-organization in collective dynamics;
  • Systems theory in collective dynamics.

Original work highlighting the latest research and technical developments is encouraged, but review papers and comparative studies are also welcome.

Dr. Polinpapilinho Katina
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • collective dynamics
  • decision making
  • self-organization
  • complex systems

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 2932 KiB  
Article
The Role of Sensory Cues in Collective Dynamics: A Study of Three-Dimensional Vicsek Models
by Poorendra Ramlall and Subhradeep Roy
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(3), 1556; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15031556 - 4 Feb 2025
Viewed by 680
Abstract
This study presents a three-dimensional collective motion model that integrates auditory and visual sensing modalities, inspired by organisms like bats that rely on these senses for navigation. Most existing models of collective motion consider vision-based sensing, likely reflecting an inherent human bias towards [...] Read more.
This study presents a three-dimensional collective motion model that integrates auditory and visual sensing modalities, inspired by organisms like bats that rely on these senses for navigation. Most existing models of collective motion consider vision-based sensing, likely reflecting an inherent human bias towards visual perception. However, many organisms utilize multiple sensory modalities, and this study explores how the integration of these distinct sensory inputs influences group behavior. We investigate a generalized scenario of three-dimensional motion, an area not previously explored for combining sensory information. Through numerical simulations, we investigate the combined impact of auditory and visual sensing on group behavior, contrasting these effects with those observed when relying solely on vision or audition. The results demonstrate that composite sensing allows particles to interact with more neighbors, thereby gaining more information. This interaction allows the formation of a single, large, perfectly aligned group using a narrow sensing region, achievable by taking advantage of the mechanics of both auditory and visual sensing. Our findings demonstrate the importance of integrating multiple sensory modalities in shaping emergent group behavior, with potential applications in both biological studies and the development of robotic swarms. Full article
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