scholarly journals Multiple time-scales and the developmental dynamics of social systems

2012 ◽  
Vol 367 (1597) ◽  
pp. 1802-1810 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica C. Flack

To build a theory of social complexity, we need to understand how aggregate social properties arise from individual interaction rules. Here, I review a body of work on the developmental dynamics of pigtailed macaque social organization and conflict management that provides insight into the mechanistic causes of multi-scale social systems. In this model system coarse-grained, statistical representations of collective dynamics are more predictive of the future state of the system than the constantly in-flux behavioural patterns at the individual level. The data suggest that individuals can perceive and use these representations for strategical decision-making. As an interaction history accumulates the coarse-grained representations consolidate. This constrains individual behaviour and provides the foundations for new levels of organization. The time-scales on which these representations change impact whether the consolidating higher-levels can be modified by individuals and collectively. The time-scales appear to be a function of the ‘coarseness’ of the representations and the character of the collective dynamics over which they are averages. The data suggest that an advantage of multiple timescales is that they allow social systems to balance tradeoffs between predictability and adaptability. I briefly discuss the implications of these findings for cognition, social niche construction and the evolution of new levels of organization in biological systems.

2018 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 481-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lal Hussain ◽  
Wajid Aziz ◽  
Sharjil Saeed ◽  
Saeed Arif Shah ◽  
Malik Sajjad A. Nadeem ◽  
...  

Abstract In this paper, we have employed K-d tree algorithmic based multiscale entropy analysis (MSE) to distinguish alcoholic subjects from non-alcoholic ones. Traditional MSE techniques have been used in many applications to quantify the dynamics of physiological time series at multiple temporal scales. However, this algorithm requires O(N2), i.e. exponential time and space complexity which is inefficient for long-term correlations and online application purposes. In the current study, we have employed a recently developed K-d tree approach to compute the entropy at multiple temporal scales. The probability function in the entropy term was converted into an orthogonal range. This study aims to quantify the dynamics of the electroencephalogram (EEG) signals to distinguish the alcoholic subjects from control subjects, by inspecting various coarse grained sequences formed at different time scales, using traditional MSE and comparing the results with fast MSE (fMSE). The performance was also measured in terms of specificity, sensitivity, total accuracy and receiver operating characteristics (ROC). Our findings show that fMSE, with a K-d tree algorithmic approach, improves the reliability of the entropy estimation in comparison with the traditional MSE. Moreover, this new technique is more promising to characterize the physiological changes having an affect at multiple time scales.


Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 3144
Author(s):  
Rongheng Lin ◽  
Fangchun Yang ◽  
Mingyuan Gao ◽  
Budan Wu ◽  
Yingying Zhao

With the rapid growth of Smart Grid, electricity load analysis has become the simplest and most effective way to divide user groups and understand user behavior. This paper proposes an AUD-MTS (Abnormal User Detection approach based on power load multi-step clustering with Multiple Time Scales). Firstly, we combine RBM (Restricted Boltzmann Machine) hidden feature learning with K-Means clustering to extract typical load patterns in the short-term. Secondly, time scale conversion is performed so that the analysis subject can be transformed from load pattern to user behavior. Finally, a two-step clustering in long-term is adopted to divide users from both coarse-grained and fine-grained dimensions so as to detect abnormal users referring to customized OutlierIndex. Experiments are conducted using annual 24-point power load data of American users in all states. The accuracy of clustering methods in AUD-MTS reaches 87.5% referring to the 16 commercial building types defined by the U.S. Department of Energy, which outperforms other common clustering algorithms on AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure). After that, the OutlierIndex score of AUD-MTS can be increased by 0.16 compared with other outlier detection algorithms, which shows that the proposed method can detect abnormal users precisely and efficiently. Furthermore, we summarized possible causes including federal holidays, climate zones and summertime that may lead to abnormal behavior changes and discussed countermeasures respectively, which accounts for 82.3% of anomalies. The rest may be potential electricity stealing users, which requires further investigation.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Liang ◽  
◽  
Daniele J. Cherniak ◽  
Chenguang Sun

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Bedinger ◽  
Lindsay Beevers ◽  
Lila Collet ◽  
Annie Visser

Climate change is a product of the Anthropocene, and the human–nature system in which we live. Effective climate change adaptation requires that we acknowledge this complexity. Theoretical literature on sustainability transitions has highlighted this and called for deeper acknowledgment of systems complexity in our research practices. Are we heeding these calls for ‘systems’ research? We used hydrohazards (floods and droughts) as an example research area to explore this question. We first distilled existing challenges for complex human–nature systems into six central concepts: Uncertainty, multiple spatial scales, multiple time scales, multimethod approaches, human–nature dimensions, and interactions. We then performed a systematic assessment of 737 articles to examine patterns in what methods are used and how these cover the complexity concepts. In general, results showed that many papers do not reference any of the complexity concepts, and no existing approach addresses all six. We used the detailed results to guide advancement from theoretical calls for action to specific next steps. Future research priorities include the development of methods for consideration of multiple hazards; for the study of interactions, particularly in linking the short- to medium-term time scales; to reduce data-intensivity; and to better integrate bottom–up and top–down approaches in a way that connects local context with higher-level decision-making. Overall this paper serves to build a shared conceptualisation of human–nature system complexity, map current practice, and navigate a complexity-smart trajectory for future research.


2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (9) ◽  
pp. 2139-2154
Author(s):  
Caroline E. Weibull ◽  
Paul C. Lambert ◽  
Sandra Eloranta ◽  
Therese M. L. Andersson ◽  
Paul W. Dickman ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Jia-Rong Yeh ◽  
Chung-Kang Peng ◽  
Norden E. Huang

Multi-scale entropy (MSE) was developed as a measure of complexity for complex time series, and it has been applied widely in recent years. The MSE algorithm is based on the assumption that biological systems possess the ability to adapt and function in an ever-changing environment, and these systems need to operate across multiple temporal and spatial scales, such that their complexity is also multi-scale and hierarchical. Here, we present a systematic approach to apply the empirical mode decomposition algorithm, which can detrend time series on various time scales, prior to analysing a signal’s complexity by measuring the irregularity of its dynamics on multiple time scales. Simulated time series of fractal Gaussian noise and human heartbeat time series were used to study the performance of this new approach. We show that our method can successfully quantify the fractal properties of the simulated time series and can accurately distinguish modulations in human heartbeat time series in health and disease.


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