**** Apologies for cross-posting ****

Complex Systems and Social Simulations, CEU Summer University in Budapest
July 7 - 18, 2008
Web site: http:// www.sun.ceu.hu/complex-systems/


Application deadline for scholarship applications: 14 February, 2008
Application deadline for fee-paying applications: 30 May, 2008



Course Directors:

Laszlo Gulyas, Collegium Budapest and AITIA Inc., Budapest, Hungary;

Gyorgy Kampis, Collegium Budapest and Eötvös University, Hungary



Course Manager:

Laszlo Laufer, Central European University and Budapest University of
Technology and Economics, Hungary ([log in to unmask])



Course Faculty:

Petra Arhweiler, National Institute of Technology Management, UCD School of
Business

Stefano Battiston, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich

Lars-Erik Cederman, ETH Zürich

Laszlo Gulyas, Collegium Budapest and AITIA Inc, Budapest

George Kampis, Collegium Budapest

Krzystof Kurowski, Poznanskie Centrum Superkomputerowo Sieciowe, Poznan

Scott Page, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Flaminio Squazzoni, University of Brescia, Italy

Klaus G. Troitzsch, University of Koblenz



Target group:

MA and Ph.D. students, postdoctoral fellows, junior faculty, researchers and
professionals. Undergraduates without a university degree will not be
considered.



Course Summary:

The terms Complex Systems (CSs) denotes an inderdisciplinary research
methodology currently successful in the social sciences and elsewhere. CS
research originated from phyiscs and nonlinear systems some decades ago but
its models have soon permeated distant fields as economy, political science
or more recently sociology. As implied by the name, a CS is essentially a
system of many complicated interactions. Complex Systems methodology has
developed sophisticated yet well understood tools to cope with this
challenge. In social systems the essence of CS is the characterization of
the distributed dynamics of how the interaction of many actors and variables
leads to predictable phenomena, that often involve hierarchy, emergence,
dynamic structures and large scale transitions.



Each day in the course focuses on one tool of this encompassing methodology.
CS methods include various mathematical models (nonlinear systems, networks,
statistical approaches), computer simulations (e.g. systems dynamics,
agent-based modeling). CS simulations are highly computation intensive and
pose problems of supercomputing and parallelization.



The CSSS course offers lectures, tutorials and discussions on the whole
spectrum of the above. Lectures are from leading experts, specifically
focusing on CS concepts, modeling and (social) simulation, followed by
discussion.



Topics:

CSS and Innovation, Social Networks, CSS in Political Science, CSS Tools
with a Special Emphasis on Simulation, Bio-Inspired CSS Models, Efficient
Studies of CSS: Supercomputers and Grids, Evolutionary Game Theory and
Social Systems, CSS in Socio-Economics, CSS in Sociology





The language of instruction: English



Tuition fee: The 500 EUR/2 weeks.



Application deadline:

For scholarship applicants: February 14, 2008;

For fee-paying applicants: May 30, 2008



Online application: https://online.ceu.hu/osun/osun (attachments to be sent
via email to [log in to unmask]



For further information queries can be directed to the SUN office by email
([log in to unmask]),

via skype (ceu-sun) or telephone (00-36-1-327-3811).





Best regards,

--
dr. Gulyás László | Laszlo Gulyas, PhD
kutatási igazgató | dir. of research
AITIA International Zrt. | AITIA International Inc.