Computational Modelling Group

Social and Socio-economic Systems

Social and socio-economic systems are those in which people interact with each other, often within cultural and economic institutions and structures. As individuals, developing an implicit understanding of the systems that we are embedded within is key to our ability to operate as human beings. As academics, developing an explicit understanding of these systems presents a major challenge. How do languages, markets, families, and firms, and systems of care, education and governance come about, interact, change and evolve? What keeps these systems stable? Why do they sometimes fail? By exploring how social and socio-economic systems such as these work, we aim to improve our ability to manage our social world.

For queries about this topic, contact Seth Bullock.

View the calendar of events relating to this topic.

Projects

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Amorphous Computation, Random Graphs and Complex Biological Networks

Seth Bullock (Investigator)

This interdisciplinary research collaboration arose within the Simple Models of Complex Networks research cluster funded by the EPSRC www.epsrca.ac.uk through the Novel Computation Initiative. Here, leading groups from the Universities of Leeds, Sheffield, Nottingham, Southampton, Royal Holloway and King’s College and industrial partners BT are brought together for the first time to develop novel amorphous computation methods based on the theory of random graphs.

An Investigation into the Cascade Effect of Mergers on the Global Financial Markets

Seth Bullock, Antonella Ianni (Investigators), Camillia Zedan

An investigation into the external effects that horizontal mergers have on the interconnected global markets.

Fracturing of small social networks

Seth Bullock, Sally Brailsford (Investigators), Elisabeth zu-Erbach-Schoenberg

A connected social network is a very important factor for the success of groups and organisations. We investigate which factors make a group more resistant to the effects of disagreements which commonly happen in small social networks.

Population24/7: space-time specific population surface modelling

Samantha Cockings, David Martin, Samuel Leung (Investigators)

Project funded by Economic and Social Research Council to compute time-specific geographical representations of population distribution.

Separation of timescales in models of complex networks

Seth Bullock (Investigator), Elisabeth zu-Erbach-Schoenberg, Connor McCabe

In many real-world systems several processes act on the system state. The way these processes interact can have implications for the resulting system state. We investigate how separation of the timescales of two processes influences the system's equilibrium state.

Spatial Mobility in the Formation of Agent-Based Economic Networks

Antonella Ianni, Seth Bullock (Investigators), Camillia Zedan

An investigation into the effect of spatial mobility on endogenous economic network formation.

The Endogenous Formation of Economic Networks

Antonella Ianni, Seth Bullock (Investigators), Camillia Zedan

An investigation into endogenous network formation using a simple agent-based approach.

The Role of Information in Price Discovery

Antonella Ianni, Seth Bullock (Investigators), Camillia Zedan

The recent economic crisis has highlighted a continued vulnerability and lack of understanding in the financial markets. In order to overcome this, many believe that current market models must be improved. Recently, a trend towards agent-based modelling has emerged. Viewing the economy as a complex system is beginning to be seen as key to explaining certain market characteristics that were originally considered anomalies.

One of the fundamental assumptions in economics is that of information efficiency: that the price of a stock reflects its worth, that all possible information about a security is publicly known, and that any changes to price take place instantaneously. In reality, however, this is not the case.

This project considers the use of agents in modelling economic systems and demonstrates the effect of information levels on price discovery using a simple market simulation.

People

Sally Brailsford
Professor, Management (FBL)
Seth Bullock
Professor, Electronics and Computer Science (FPAS)
David Martin
Professor, Geography (FSHS)
Antonella Ianni
Senior Lecturer, Social Sciences (FSHS)
Samantha Cockings
Lecturer, Geography (FSHS)
Samuel Leung
Research Fellow, Geography (FSHS)
Ashley Booth
Postgraduate Research Student, Electronics and Computer Science (FPAS)
Jonathan Gray
Postgraduate Research Student, Electronics and Computer Science (FPAS)
Jason Hilton
Postgraduate Research Student, Social Sciences (FSHS)
Guy Jacobs
Postgraduate Research Student, Electronics and Computer Science (FPAS)
Andreas Loengarov
Postgraduate Research Student, Electronics and Computer Science (FPAS)
Connor McCabe
Postgraduate Research Student, Electronics and Computer Science (FPAS)
James Snowdon
Postgraduate Research Student, Civil Engineering & the Environment (FEE)
Johannes Van Der Horst
Postgraduate Research Student, Electronics and Computer Science (FPAS)
Camillia Zedan
Postgraduate Research Student, Electronics and Computer Science (FPAS)
Elisabeth zu-Erbach-Schoenberg
Postgraduate Research Student, Management (FBL)
Elena Vataga
Technical Staff, iSolutions
Petrina Butler
Administrative Staff, Research and Innovation Services