International School on Complexity: Course on
Statistical Physics of Social Dynamics:
Opinions, Semiotic Dynamics, and Language
Directors: Vittorio Loreto and Luc Steels
Ettore Majorana Foundation and Center For Scientific Culture
Erice, 14-19 July 2007
Satellite Workshop of STATPHYS 2007

Theme 3: Statistical Physics Models of Language Dynamics and Role of the Interaction Networks


Language is one of the most distinguishing trait of humans and it has always attracted a large attention of scientists belonging to different fields. In the last years several groups of physicists and mathematicians tackled the problem and theoretical tools developed in statistical physics and complex systems science have acquired a central role for the study of the self generating structures of language systems. This stream is devoted to reviewing recent advances in this area with a special emphasis on the role played by the network of interactions among agents.

A preliminary schedule of this theme includes the following topic and speakers:


3.1 General Issues in Statistical physics

3.2 Statistical mechanics of language games

3.3 Network analysis and language dynamics

3.4 Mathematical models of language evolution

3.5 Semiotic Dynamics on the web

3.6 Internet as a substrate of semiotic dynamics

3.7 Social networks modeling