Be honest. Deep down, most mathematicians probably accept “mathematical social sciences” as an oxymoron. I did — until after examining this area more seriously. Comfortable in my own research emphasizing the Newtonian N -body problem, I probably would respond to news that someone was working in, say, mathematical economics with a polite, “That’s nice,” where this noncommittal comment carried th...

The application of complexity theory crosses many domains thereby reflecting the multidisciplinary perspective inherent within the concept. Within the social sciences, the advent of complexity theory has facilitated a re-examination of the concept of system, ‘...rejecting old assumptions about equilibrium in favour of the analysis of dynamic processes of systems far from equilibrium, and respec...