University of California, Los Angeles                                                                                                                                                                                      INTRODUCTION TO MATHEMATICAL SOCIOLOGY                                                                                                                                                                                     Sociology 116.  Winter 1985.  Tuesday and Thursday, 8:00 to 9:15,        GSM 4317.                                                                                                                                         Professor:   David D. McFarland.  Office:  Haines 257, phone 825-6380.   Messages may be left
 
 
INTRODUCTION TO MATHEMATICAL SOCIOLOGY


Soc. 112.  Fall 1998. 
  
Professor:  David D. McFarland  
Email: mcfarland@soc.ucla.edu
Web:  www.sscnet.ucla.edu/soc/faculty/mcfarland/
Office:  Haines 257, phone 825-6380.  Messages may be left with 
secretaries in Haines 264, phone 825-1313.
Office hours:  TBA

Teaching Assistant:  Motoki Watabe.  mwatabe@ucla.edu
Office hours:  TBA
 
COURSE DESCRIPTION:  Mathematical treatments of several
sociological phenomena, such as occupational mobility, 
population growth, structure of organizations, and friendship
patterns, each covered in some detail, including initial
development and subsequent evaluation and modification, 
emphasizing both the deductive and the computational 
contributions of mathematics.  The use, understanding, and,
later, creation of computer programs implementing mathematical
models of social phenomena.


PREREQUISITES:  Introductory level familiarity with matrix
algebra, probability theory, and calculus (Mathematics 2, 5, and
Sociology 18).
 
COMPUTING: We will use computers, in the Powell Library CLICC
lab, as follows: (a) Netscape to browse materials on the
professor's web site for this course; (b) Acrobat Reader for
course materials in PDF format, (c) Mathcad to perform relevant
calculations.  I recommend that each student purchase one Zip
Disk (about $10) that will hold up to 100meg of material.
 
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Exercises will be assigned for each topic.
These will be gone over in class, with students being called upon
to present their results to the class and/or turn them in for
grading. There will be two midterm exams, with each including
items similar to those assigned in the exercises.  (The second
midterm will be in week 10, and will REPLACE the Christmas Eve
final exam scheduled by the registrar.)

PURCHASES: One $60 book. One $10 Zip disk. Total: $70.

OUTLINE:
 
Weeks 1-2. The Demise of Dynasties. 
Reading from PDF file.

Weeks 3-4. Job Vacancies and Mobility. 
Reading from PDF file.

Week 5.  First Midterm Examination.

Weeks 5-7.  Stability and Change in Social Networks.  

Reading: Per Hage and Frank Harary. 1996. Island Networks:
Communication, Kinship, and Classification Structures in Oceania.
New York: Cambridge University Press. Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 6.

Weeks 8-9.  Population Growth and Some of Its Implications.  
Reading from PDF file.

Week 10.  Second Midterm Examination.

Exam Week.  Happy Holidays!