Contact Info
Department of Applied Mathematics
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario
Canada N2L 3G1
Phone: 519-888-4567, ext. 32700
Fax: 519-746-4319
PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader
M3 3103
John Lang, Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Waterloo
Information Flow and Decision Making Over Social Networks
On December 17, 2010, a fruit vender named Mohamed Bouazizi self-immolated in the small Tunisian town of Sidi Bousid. In doing so, he set in motion a series of protests and revolutions that we now collectively refer to as the Arab Spring. It is widely believed that new communications technologies such as the Internet and social media played a critical role in the success of protests that ultimately led to the downfall of dictatorial regimes in both Tunisia and Egypt. This seminar discusses approaches to modeling these types of social processes which occur over complex social networks. Agent-based, effective degree, Nekoee-type, moment closure, and compartmental models are considered, among others. We then introduce a similar one-compartment remodel for the dynamics of an Arab-Spring-like revolution, which is able to qualitatively capture a wide range of scenarios observed in Tunisia and Egypt, as well as in Iran, China and Somalia. This model is then applied as a framework from which we develop possible answers to four outstanding questions regarding the evolution of the Arab Spring. A more complex treatment of the Arab Spring phenomenon is propose, followed by a discussion of possible directions for future research.
Contact Info
Department of Applied Mathematics
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario
Canada N2L 3G1
Phone: 519-888-4567, ext. 32700
Fax: 519-746-4319
PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.