Management
of Heterogeneous Dynamical Systems

The project’s goal is to understand the heterogeneous interactions of the parts of large socioeconomic systems that function across many sectors and are driven by multiple agents.

Global development is driven by a mix of factors such as economic growth, technological innovation, societal processes, and the effects of climate change. In different regions, and even within regions, these factors can differ in many critical ways. One region has access to energy while another doesn’t; one region has strong technological development while another doesn’t; one has restrictive social policies while another region's are progressive.

Past research efforts have concentrated on heterogeneity in localized areas, investigating such topics as epidemic diseases, biological population dynamics, and physical systems. Consequently, there is a vast amount of research devoted to age- and size-structured systems with applications in epidemiology, demography, resource management, and health economics.

This project will provide the research needed to address the management of large-scale heterogeneous socioeconomic systems with emphasis on spatial and behavioral diversification, cross-dependency of the driving factors, and spatial interactions. Researchers will also examine the control of heterogeneous natural systems.

The expected achievements include extensions of basic control principles to heterogeneous dynamical systems; a novel approach to aggregation of heterogeneity in multi-sector models of socioeconomic development; and an analysis of managing heterogeneous economic systems that must function with limited resources.

Currently, the project includes research on:

  • Market Equilibrium Behaviors of Heterogeneous Agents,
  • Integrated Modeling of Structure and Functioning of Forest Ecosystems under Global Change
  • Optimal Cycles in Crop Rotation.

The project overlaps with the Game Dynamics Project.


Print this page

Last edited: 19 January 2015

Timeframe

2011 - 2015

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
Schlossplatz 1, A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria
Phone: (+43 2236) 807 0 Fax:(+43 2236) 71 313