Mathematical Models in Sociology: Dynamics, Networks, and Decision Processes
A special issue of Mathematics (ISSN 2227-7390). This special issue belongs to the section "E: Applied Mathematics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 243
Special Issue Editor
Interests: mathematical sociology; network science; nonlinear dynamics; stochastic processes; social contagion; opinion dynamics; computational social science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue invites mathematically rigorous contributions at the interface of sociology, with a focus on dynamic processes, network structure, and decision behavior. Contemporary social-behavioral systems exhibit nonlinear feedback, heterogeneity, and stochasticity; therefore, formal modeling is essential for explanation, prediction, and intervention design. We welcome work on opinion and belief dynamics, social influence and contagion, polarization mechanisms, cognitive and collective decision processes, game-theoretic interaction, and agent-based approaches that connect micro-level rules to macro-level outcomes. Appropriate methods include differential and difference equations, stochastic processes, control and optimization, inverse problems, inference under uncertainty, and temporal or multilayer network analysis. Empirical grounding through calibration, validation, and reproducible computational workflows is strongly encouraged. This Special Issue aims to consolidate advances in mathematical sociology while promoting cross-disciplinary methods with both theoretical depth and practical relevance for complex social systems.
Prof. Dr. Dimitri Volchenkov
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- mathematical sociology
- opinion dynamics
- social network analysis
- decision processes
- social contagion
- polarization
- agent-based modeling
- stochastic processes
- computational social science
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