cognitive/docs/guides/learning_paths/active_inference_social_learning_path.md

title	type	status	created	complexity	processing_priority	tags	semantic_relations
Active Inference in Social Systems Learning Path	learning_path	stable	2024-03-15	advanced	1	active-inference social-systems collective-behavior cultural-evolution	type links specializes active_inference_learning_path type links relates social_systems_learning_path collective_intelligence_learning_path cultural_evolution_learning_path

Active Inference in Social Systems Learning Path

Overview

This specialized path focuses on applying Active Inference to understand social dynamics, collective behavior, and cultural evolution. It integrates social theory with complex systems modeling.

Prerequisites

1. Social Science Foundations (4 weeks)

• Social Theory

  • Group dynamics
  • Social networks
  • Cultural transmission
  • Collective behavior

• Behavioral Science

  • Decision making
  • Social learning
  • Cooperation
  • Competition

• Research Methods

  • Network analysis
  • Behavioral experiments
  • Field studies
  • Data collection

• Systems Theory

  • Complex systems
  • Emergence
  • Self-organization
  • Information dynamics

2. Technical Skills (2 weeks)

• Analysis Tools
  • Python/R
  • Network analysis
  • Statistical methods
  • Visualization

Core Learning Path

1. Social Modeling (4 weeks)

Week 1-2: Collective State Inference

class CollectiveStateEstimator:
    def __init__(self,
                 n_agents: int,
                 state_dim: int):
        """Initialize collective state estimator."""
        self.agents = [SocialAgent() for _ in range(n_agents)]
        self.collective_state = torch.zeros(state_dim)
        self.interaction_network = self._build_network()

Week 3-4: Social Action Selection

class CollectiveController:
    def __init__(self,
                 n_agents: int,
                 action_space: int):
        """Initialize collective controller."""
        self.policy = CollectivePolicy(n_agents, action_space)
        self.coordination = CoordinationMechanism()

2. Social Applications (6 weeks)

Week 1-2: Group Dynamics

• Collective Decision Making
• Opinion Formation
• Social Learning
• Group Coordination

Week 3-4: Cultural Evolution

• Cultural Transmission
• Innovation Diffusion
• Norm Formation
• Social Change

Week 5-6: Network Dynamics

• Information Flow
• Influence Spread
• Community Formation
• Network Evolution

3. Collective Intelligence (4 weeks)

Week 1-2: Group Problem Solving

class CollectiveProblemSolver:
    def __init__(self,
                 n_agents: int,
                 problem_space: ProblemSpace):
        """Initialize collective problem solver."""
        self.agents = [ProblemSolvingAgent() for _ in range(n_agents)]
        self.problem = problem_space
        self.solution_space = SolutionSpace()

Week 3-4: Collective Learning

• Knowledge Aggregation
• Skill Development
• Collective Memory
• Adaptive Learning

4. Advanced Topics (4 weeks)

Week 1-2: Social Institutions

class InstitutionalDynamics:
    def __init__(self,
                 n_institutions: int,
                 social_network: nx.Graph):
        """Initialize institutional dynamics."""
        self.institutions = [Institution() for _ in range(n_institutions)]
        self.network = social_network
        self.rules = RuleSystem()

Week 3-4: Social Adaptation

• Institutional Change
• Social Innovation
• Adaptive Governance
• Resilience Building

Projects

Social Projects

1. Collective Behavior

   • Opinion Dynamics
   • Social Learning
   • Group Coordination
   • Cultural Evolution

2. Network Analysis

   • Information Flow
   • Influence Spread
   • Community Detection
   • Network Evolution

Application Projects

1. Social Systems

   • Organizational Design
   • Policy Analysis
   • Social Innovation
   • Institutional Change

2. Collective Intelligence

   • Group Problem Solving
   • Knowledge Management
   • Collaborative Learning
   • Decision Support

Resources

Academic Resources

1. Research Papers

   • Social Theory
   • Network Science
   • Cultural Evolution
   • Collective Behavior

2. Books

   • Social Systems
   • Complex Networks
   • Cultural Dynamics
   • Collective Intelligence

Technical Resources

1. Software Tools

   • Network Analysis
   • Agent-Based Modeling
   • Statistical Analysis
   • Visualization Tools

2. Data Resources

   • Social Networks
   • Cultural Data
   • Behavioral Data
   • Institutional Records

Next Steps

Advanced Topics

1. social_network_analysis_learning_path
2. cultural_evolution_learning_path
3. collective_intelligence_learning_path

Research Directions

1. research_guides/social_systems
2. research_guides/cultural_evolution
3. research_guides/collective_behavior