Mathematical modelling and numerical bifurcation analysis of inbreeding and interdisciplinarity dynamics in academia

DOI10.1016/J.CAM.2020.113194zbMATH Open1459.37076arXiv1802.01002OpenAlexW2785444696MaRDI QIDQ2222136FDOQ2222136

Francesco Giannino, C. I. Siettos, Gerardo Toraldo, Stefano Mazzoleni, Lucia Russo

Publication date: 3 February 2021

Published in: Journal of Computational and Applied Mathematics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: Disciplinary diversity is being recognized today as the key to establish a vibrant academic environment with bigger potential for breakthroughs in research and technology. However, the interaction of several factors including policies, and behavioral attitudes put significant barriers on advancing interdisciplinarity. A "cognitive rigidity" may rise due to reactive academic lobbying favouring inbreeding. Here, we address, analyse and discuss a mathematical model of lobbying and interdisciplinarity dynamics in Academia. The model consists of four coupled non-linear Ordinary Differential Equations simulating the interaction between three types of academic individuals and a state reflecting the rate of knowledge advancement which is related to the level of disciplinary diversity. Our model predicts a rich nonlinear behaviour including multiplicity of states and sustained periodic oscillations resembling the everlasting struggle between the "new" and the "old". The effect of a control policy that inhibits lobbying is also studied. By appropriate adjustment of the model parameters we approximated the jump/phase transitions in breakthroughs in mathematical and molecular biological sciences resulted by the increased flow of Russian scientists in the USA after the dissolution of the Soviet Union starting in 1989, the launch of the Human Genome Project in 1992 and the Internet diffusion starting in 2000.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1802.01002

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zbMATH Keywords

mathematical modellinglobbyingnumerical bifurcation analysisinterdisciplinarityacademic inbreeding

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Computational methods for bifurcation problems in dynamical systems (37M20) Numerical bifurcation problems (65P30)

Cites Work

• Mathematical Models in Population Biology and Epidemiology
• Computational Science - ICCS 2004

Cited In (1)

• Foreword to the virtual special issue dedicated to the 3rd international conference NUMTA 2019 ``Numerical computations: theory and algorithms

Uses Software

• MATCONT

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