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“Examines when, where, and how social complexity first emerged in human societies, with an emphasis on long-term analysis and four civilizations of the ancient world: West Asia, East Asia, Andean Peru, and Mesoamerica.”
  This course introduces undergraduates with a non-economics background to basic concepts in environmental and resource economics, setting this presentation in the broader ecological context in which our economic system functions. It introduces students to basic theories regarding how markets allocate scarce resources among competing uses and the extent to which these market allocations can be considered economically efficient where ecological resources are concerned.
Dawn Parker's land-use modeling course, see http://mason.gmu.edu/~dparker3/lumta_04/lumta.html for more details.
Presents and applies concepts and principles from object-based modeling paradigm. Emphasizes Unified Modeling Language (UML) to render structure and operation of complex social systems and processes. Prerequisite or corequisite: CSS 600 or permission of instructor. Cross listed: CSI 709, ECON 895, EVPP 741.
Methods and applications that examine complex social systems based on relations, structures, connectivity, matrix representations, location, roles, interactions, and other network properties. Applications to terrorism, cognition, organizations, and other social phenomena. Cross listed: EVPP 741, GEOG 590, ECON 895, CSI 709, PUBP 710, GOVT 739.
We live and work in complex adaptive and evolving socio-technical systems. These systems may be complex for a variety of reasons. At the heart of this complexity is a set of adaptive agents who are connected or linked to other agents forming a network and who are constrained or enabled by the world they inhabit. Computational modeling can be used to help analyze, reason about, predict the behavior of, and possibly control such complex systems of "networked" agents.
This course is a continuation of CSS 692 - Social Network Analysis. We are going to explore a number of different topics in SNA, many of them statistical and methodological, but at the same time we should keep in mind that we're talking about social phenomena, not dry mathematical constructs. It is the ``wet" human factor that makes SNA so interesting, and I would not like to lose it behind the pure methodology.
The course provides an introduction to neoclassical environmental and resource economics, including a condensed introduction to microeconomic theory. The course is designed for non-economist graduate students, and is taught at an intermediate microeconomics level (graph and algebraic solution to systems of linear equations).
Provides a hands-on examination of agent-based models in the social sciences by examining and experimenting with a variety of social simulation projects conducted in modeling environments such as Swarm, Repast, Ascape, and GMU's own MASON (Multi-Agent Simulator Of Networks and Neighborhoods). Professor Robert Axtell. Prerequisite or co-requisite: CSS 600 or permission of instructor. Crosslisted: CSI 709, ECON 895, EVPP 741, GEOG 590, PUAD 749. Mondays 7:20-10:00PM Innovation Hall 330.
Examines social phenomena like language, terrorism, the internet, warfare, and wealth, that is based on power laws and far-from-equilibrium nonlinear dynamics. Emphasis on data analysis, modeling and interpreting complexity-theoretic dynamics. Professor Maksim Tsvetovat. Prerequisite or co-requisite: CSS 600. Crosslisted: CSI 709, EVPP 741, GOVT 739. Tuesdays 4:30-7:10PM - IN 338
Prerequisite or co-requisite: GEOG 631 or CSS 600 or permission of instructor. CSS 600 may be taken concurrently. Discusses key challenges in spatial modeling of human-environment interactions. Reviews agent-based modeling applications in urban/rural interactions, agriculture, forestry, and other areas. Hands-on development of simple ABM models and investigation of linkages between GIS and ABM. Professor Dawn Parker. Crosslisted: CSI 709, EVPP 631, GEOG 631. Tuesdays 7:20-10:00PM - IN 320.
Prerequisite or co-requisite: CSS 600, 610 and permission of instructor. Focus on goals, resources, history and modeling issues concerning human and social dimensions of the space program using CSS. Design and development of socially viable human communities in extreme environments. Professor William Bainbridge. Crosslisted: CSI 709, HIST 796, PUBP 710. Thursdays 4:30-7:10PM - IN 338.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. This course will explore design, development and validation of computer simulations of organizations and human systems. Studies simulation techniques ranging from dynamic network methods, agent-based systems, search-space exploration, and system dynamics. May be repeated for credit as needed. Professor Maksim Tsvetovat. Crosslisted: CSI 709 Wednesdays 7:20-10:00PM - IN 338.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Explores the extent to which analytical methods, including differential equation, markov process, and game theoretic methods are usefully applied to agent systems. Some exposure to linear algebra, probability theory, and calculus is required. May be repeated for credit as needed. Professor Robert Axtell. Crosslisted: CSI 749. Mondays and Wednesdays 3:00-4:15PM - R A249. Site news
| The Center for Social Complexity offers all course work designated CSS in the "Course Descriptions" chapter of this catalog. CSS courses are intended for students who are interested in taking individual CSS courses or students seeking a concentration in CSS, as well as those pursuing a graduate degree in CSS.
Computational Social Science (CSS) is an interdisciplinary field that combines the application of computer simulation and other computer-based methods to the analysis of social systems and processes at all levels or scales of complexity: cognitive, individual, group, society, national, and world systems. Examples of complex social dynamics include the evolution of civilization and technology, warfare and terrorism, economic market dynamics, human organizations, intelligence and early warning, and emergence of language and symbol systems. Every social science includes a computational field: anthropology, ecology, economics, geography, history, linguistics, political science, and sociology. CSS also includes the interaction between artificial human and natural systems.
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