This primer uses straightforward language to give the reader step-by-step instructions for identifying and analyzing fractal patterns and the social process that create them. By making fractals accessible to the social science students, this book has a significant impact on the understanding of human behavior.This title features detailed examples help readers learn and understand the analytical methods presented and Matlab codes for programmes allow users to implement, on their own, some of the techniques described in the text. It presents clear and logical explanations of fractals and their analysis enable the instructor to easily teach and the student to easily learn the material. This is the only book designed to introduce fractal analysis to a general social science audience. INDICE: Authors Series Editor's Introduction Preface Chapter 1. Introduction to Fractal Analysis Mandelbrot What Are Fractals? Fractal Dimension: Quantifying Fractal Properties The Formal Definition of Fractals Discussion Chapter 2. Fractal Analysis of Frequency Distributions Power Laws Summary Chapter 3. Fractal Patterns Embedded in Two Dimensions Estimating the Fractal Dimension ofEmpirical Data Summary and Discussion Chapter 4. Social Processes That Generate Fractals How We Do Our "To Do" Lists: Preferential Priorities How We Kill: Attendant Causes, Self-Organized Criticality, and Agent-Based Models How We Network: Preferential Attachment How We Decide Where to Live: Diffusion Limited Aggregation How We Look for Food: Levy Flights How We Live Together: BalancingCohesive and Disruptive Forces Summary and Discussion Chapter 5. Advanced Topics in Fractal Analysis Multiscaling Fractal Patterns Patterns Embedded in Three Dimensions Self-Affine Fractals Fractal Time Series Multifractals Lacunarity Conclusion Chapter 6. Final Considerations Should I Try Fractal Analysis? References Author Index Subject Index
- ISBN: 978-1-4129-7165-2
- Editorial: Sage Publications
- Encuadernacion: Rústica
- Páginas: 112
- Fecha Publicación: 01/07/2010
- Nº Volúmenes: 1
- Idioma: Inglés