Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A contribution to the mathematical biology of the rates of historical development

  • Published:
The bulletin of mathematical biophysics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The paper is a second step toward a biomathematical theory of the rates of spread of new nonconformist ideas or behaviors in a society. It is intended as a preliminary and purely theoretical study of a very oversimplified case. An equation which determines the distribution function of the tendencies toward conformist and nonconformist behaviors is set up under a number of oversimplified assumptions, and a solution by successive approximations is indicated. The expression for the first approximation is given, and an estimate of the order of magnitude of the rates of changes is made. In conclusion an outline is given for further improvement of the theory.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Literature

  • Landahl, H.D. 1938. “A Contribution to the Mathematical Biophysics of Psychophysical Discrimination.”Psychometrika,3, 107–25.

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Landau, H. G. 1950. “Note on the Effect of Imitation in Social Behavior.”Bull. Math. Biophysics,12, 221–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peirce, B. O. 1929.A Short Table of Integrals. Boston: Ginn & Co.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Rashevsky, N. 1948.Mathematical Biophysics. Rev. Ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • — 1951.Mathematical Biology of Social Behavior. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • — 1953. “Outline of a Mathematical Approach to History.”Bull. Math. Biophysics,15, 197–234.

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Committee on Mathematical Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, USA

    N. Rashevsky

Authors
  1. N. Rashevsky
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rashevsky, N. A contribution to the mathematical biology of the rates of historical development. Bulletin of Mathematical Biophysics 16, 117–128 (1954). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02481819

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02481819

Keywords

Search

Navigation