Common group dynamic drives modern epidemics across social, financial and biological
Year: 2009
Type: preprint
Abstract: We show that qualitatively different epidemic-like processes from distinct societal domains (finance, social and commercial block- busters, epidemiology) can be quantitatively understood using the same unifying conceptual framework taking into account the interplay between the timescales of the grouping and fragmenta- tion of social groups together with typical epidemic transmission processes. Different domain-specific empirical infection profiles, featuring multiple resurgences and abnormal decay times, are re- produced simply by varying the timescales for group formation and individual transmission. Our model emphasizes the need to account for the dynamic evolution of multi-connected networks. Our results reveal a new minimally-invasive dynamical method for controlling such outbreaks, help fill a gap in existing epidemio- logical theory, and offer a new understanding of complex system response functions.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Language: English
Subfield: Statistical and Nonlinear Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1866996218