Limits Of Mathematical Modeling In The Social Sciences, The: The Significance Of Godel's Incompleteness Phenomenon

by Francisco Antonio Doria (Editor)

Overview

Current mathematical models are notoriously unreliable in describing the time evolution of unexpected social phenomena, from financial crashes to revolution. Can such events be forecast? Can we compute probabilities about them? Can we model them? This book investigates and attempts to answer these questions through Gödel's two incompleteness theorems, and in doing so demonstrates how influential Gödel is in modern logical and mathematical thinking. Many mathematical models are applied to economics and social theory, while Gödel's theorems are able to predict their limitations for more accurate analysis and understanding of national and international events.This unique discussion is written for graduate level mathematicians applying their research to the social sciences, including economics, social studies and philosophy, and also for formal logicians and philosophers of science.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781786343154
Publisher:	World Scientific Publishing Europe Ltd
Publication date:	07/17/2017
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.90(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction vii

About the Authors xi

Chapter 1 Axiomatics, the Social Sciences, and the Gödel Phenomenon: A Toolkit Francisco Antonio Dona 1

Chapter 2 The Perfect Language Gregory J. Chaitin 91

Chapter 3 Logics and Formal Ethics in Karl Menger Giandomenica Becchio 111

Chapter 4 Shocked Disbelief Roger Koppl 133

Chapter 5 Complex Systems, Decision-Making and Computability: A Social Science Perspective Denis J. Dean Euel Elliott 159

Chapter 6 Is Classical Logic Enough? Applications of Nonstandard Logic to the Social Sciences Denis J. Dean Euel Elliott 183

Chapter 7 Is Economics a Science? A Gödelian Perspective Sami Al-Suwailem 207

Index 267