In social complex systems, the whole can be more or less than (the sum of) the parts

Publication date: Available online 7 July 2019Source: Comptes Rendus PhysiqueAuthor(s): Éric Bertin, Pablo JensenAbstractWe discuss in a statistical physics framework the idea that “the whole is less than the parts”, as sometimes advocated by sociologists in view of the intrinsic complexity of humans, and try to reconcile this idea with the statistical physicists wisdom according to which “the whole is more than the sum of its parts” due to collective phenomena. We consider a simple mean-field model of interacting agents having an intrinsic complexity modeled by a large number of internal configurations. We show, by analytically solving the model, that interactions between agents lead, in some parameter range, to a ‘standardization’ of agents in the sense that all agents collapse in the same internal state, thereby drastically suppressing their complexity. Slightly generalizing the model, we find that agents standardization may lead to a global order if appropriate interactions are included. Hence, in this simple model, both agents standardization and collective organization may be viewed as two sides of the same coin.RésuméNous discutons dans un cadre de physique statistique de l'idée selon laquelle « le tout est moins que les parties », comme le préconisent parfois les sociologues en raison de la complexité intrinsèque de l'être humain, et nous essayons de concilier cette idée avec le point de vue de la physique statistique, selon lequel « le tout es...

Source: Comptes Rendus Physique - July 9, 2019 Category: Physics Source Type: research