An equilibrium approach to modelling social interaction

Gallo, Ignacio Alejandro (2009) An equilibrium approach to modelling social interaction, [Dissertation thesis], Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna. Dottorato di ricerca in Matematica, 21 Ciclo. DOI 10.6092/unibo/amsdottorato/2126.
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Abstract

The aim of this work is to put forward a statistical mechanics theory of social interaction, generalizing econometric discrete choice models. After showing the formal equivalence linking econometric multinomial logit models to equilibrium statical mechanics, a multi- population generalization of the Curie-Weiss model for ferromagnets is considered as a starting point in developing a model capable of describing sudden shifts in aggregate human behaviour. Existence of the thermodynamic limit for the model is shown by an asymptotic sub-additivity method and factorization of correlation functions is proved almost everywhere. The exact solution for the model is provided in the thermodynamical limit by nding converging upper and lower bounds for the system's pressure, and the solution is used to prove an analytic result regarding the number of possible equilibrium states of a two-population system. The work stresses the importance of linking regimes predicted by the model to real phenomena, and to this end it proposes two possible procedures to estimate the model's parameters starting from micro-level data. These are applied to three case studies based on census type data: though these studies are found to be ultimately inconclusive on an empirical level, considerations are drawn that encourage further refinements of the chosen modelling approach, to be considered in future work.

Abstract
Tipologia del documento
Tesi di dottorato
Autore
Gallo, Ignacio Alejandro
Supervisore
Dottorato di ricerca
Scuola di dottorato
Scienze matematiche, fisiche ed astronomiche
Ciclo
21
Coordinatore
Settore disciplinare
Settore concorsuale
Parole chiave
social interaction statistical mechanics discrete choice mean field
URN:NBN
DOI
10.6092/unibo/amsdottorato/2126
Data di discussione
8 Luglio 2009
URI

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