Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Suggestions for a mathematical biology of some cultural developments

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

Abstract

In connection with the author's previous studies on the effects of imitation in social behavior it is shown how, owing to such effects, two societies which are both characterized by the same distribution functions for different abilities and tastes may differ very greatly in their respective outputs of scientific and inventive work. The course of development which occurs in a given society may be determined by purely accidental initial conditions. A theory of quantitative relations between some cultural and socioeconomic quantities is suggested.

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

  • Rashevsky, N. 1950.Mathematical Biology of Social Behavior. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • — 1950a. “Some Bio-Sociological Aspects of the Mathematical Theory of Communication”.Bull. Math. Biophysics,12, 359–78.

    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. Suggestions for a mathematical biology of some cultural developments. Bulletin of Mathematical Biophysics 13, 51–59 (1951). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02478344

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02478344

Keywords

Search

Navigation