Connecting Brillouin's principle to a social synergetics probabilistic model. Applications to the binary decision problems

Jerzy Z Hubert and Andrzej Lenda

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 2003, vol. 326, issue 3, 578-593

Abstract: The presented model takes account of the fact that any decision process—involving choosing at least between two options, in order to be physically realisable, needs to be coupled to some information negentropy source. This is in accordance with Brillouin's Principle (of information). In social decision processes the source of this information negentropy must function in any system that is subject to the decision process. Thermodynamically, such a process can be understood as an inside on-going continuous process of transformation of an internal thermodynamic quantity into informational quantity, or, more precisely: as a transformation of thermodynamic negentropy generated in various metabolic processes going in human body into information negentropy or information tout court. Initial probabilities of selection and choice are defined as in the Weidlich–Haag social synergetics model. Its connection to the negentropy balance equation is made via the traditional quantity, widely used in economics, i.e., the utility value. Thus, in our approach we try to synthesise the Weidlich–Haag social synergetics probabilistic approach with Brillouin's information-thermodynamics method of reasoning. From this model stems an idea of mathematical modelling and physical explanation of one of the basic human and social phenomena: the need of change—change for the sake of change, i.e., without any visible motivations and reasons that would be external to the system. The computations make use of Monte Carlo method in which the time stories of each individual are followed. The results of computations are discussed also in terms of other really observed social phenomena. It seems that the presented method is ample and versatile and can explain—at least qualitatively—many of such phenomena.

Keywords: Information negentropy; Social synergetics; Negentropy transformations; Brillouin's principle; Individual choice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2003
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:326:y:2003:i:3:p:578-593

DOI: 10.1016/S0378-4371(03)00395-9

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