This book presents mathematical models of mob control with threshold (conformity) collective decision-making of the agents. Based on the results of analysis of the interconnection between the micro- and macromodels of active network structures, it considers the static (deterministic, stochastic and game-theoretic) and dynamic (discrete- and continuous-time) models of mob control, and highlights models of informational confrontation. Many of the results are applicable not only to mob control problems, but also to control problems arising in social groups, online social networks, etc. Aimed at researchers and practitioners, it is also a valuable resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as doctoral candidates specializing in the field of collective behavior modeling.

This book surveys the well-known results and also presents a series of original results on the mathematical modeling of social networks, focusing on models of informational influence, control and confrontation. Online social networks are intended for communication, opinion exchange and information acquisition for their members, but recently, online social networks have been intensively used as the objects and means of informational control and an arena of informational confrontation. They have become a powerful informational influence tool, particularly for the manipulation of individuals, social groups and society as a whole, as well as a battlefield of information warfare (cyberwars). This book aimed at under- and postgraduate university students as well as experts in information technology and modeling of social systems and processes.

This book develops and describes a general methodology that can be applied to any complex human activity (activity with a non-trivial, multi-level internal structure). The structural components of complex activities are considered, and their logical, cause-and-effect, and process structures are functionally described. Considerable attention is paid to organization and management, uncertainties, and the lifecycles of activities, as well as the actors, subject matter, resources, knowledge, and methods involved. Several typical examples are used throughout the text to illustrate the implementation of common approaches involving the functioning of work groups, organizational units, projects, and organizations in general: a retail bank, an aircraft manufacturer, a fire department, and a nuclear power plant. In addition, the book employs a system of connected technical models, in order to ensure that the results are of practical applicability for both experts on the ground and scholars engaged in research on the general principles of how activities (practical, scientific, etc.) are organized or on the management of socio-technical systems.

Unique selling point: • Presents a human as the core constituent of the complex system, and solves problems of optimizing such an Enterprise Core audience: • Professionals and researcers interested in the theory of complex systems, management and operations research Place in the market: • Introduces new research for individual and group activity supported by advanced models of applied mathematics.

This monograph presents and analyzes the optimization, game-theoretic and simulation models of control mechanisms for ecological-economic systems. It is devoted to integrated assessment mechanisms for total risks and losses, penalty mechanisms, risk payment mechanisms, financing and costs compensation mechanisms for risk level reduction, sales mechanisms for risk level quotas, audit mechanisms, mechanisms for expected losses reduction, economic motivation mechanisms, optimization mechanisms for regional environmental (risk level reduction) programs, and mechanisms for authorities' interests coordination. The book is aiming at undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as at experts in mathematical modeling and control of ecological economic, socioeconomic and organizational systems.

This book is a further development of the theory of parametric control. It includes: numerical methods of testing (verification) of software implementation of mathematical models by assessing the stability of mappings defined by the model; sufficient conditions for the existence of the solutions of some types of problems of dynamic optimization; the existence of continuous dependence of optimal values of criteria on exogenous functions and parameters; and the existence of points of bifurcation of extremals of such problems. It demonstrates that this theory offers a constructive methodology for middle-term forecasting, macroeconomic analysis and estimation of optimal values of economic characteristics on the basis of advanced global mathematical models, namely Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) Model, Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium (DSGE) Model, and Hybrid Econometric model. In addition, it includes conditions for the applicability of the computational experiments' results, into practice.

Unique selling point: * Presents a human as the core constituent of the complex system, and solves problems of optimizing such an Enterprise Core audience: * Professionals and researcers interested in the theory of complex systems, management and operations research Place in the market: * Introduces new research for individual and group activity supported by advanced models of applied mathematics.

This book develops and describes a general methodology that can be applied to any complex human activity (activity with a non-trivial, multi-level internal structure). The structural components of complex activities are considered, and their logical, cause-and-effect, and process structures are functionally described. Considerable attention is paid to organization and management, uncertainties, and the lifecycles of activities, as well as the actors, subject matter, resources, knowledge, and methods involved. Several typical examples are used throughout the text to illustrate the implementation of common approaches involving the functioning of work groups, organizational units, projects, and organizations in general: a retail bank, an aircraft manufacturer, a fire department, and a nuclear power plant. In addition, the book employs a system of connected technical models, in order to ensure that the results are of practical applicability for both experts on the ground and scholars engaged in research on the general principles of how activities (practical, scientific, etc.) are organized or on the management of socio-technical systems.

This book presents mathematical models of mob control with threshold (conformity) collective decision-making of the agents. Based on the results of analysis of the interconnection between the micro- and macromodels of active network structures, it considers the static (deterministic, stochastic and game-theoretic) and dynamic (discrete- and continuous-time) models of mob control, and highlights models of informational confrontation. Many of the results are applicable not only to mob control problems, but also to control problems arising in social groups, online social networks, etc. Aimed at researchers and practitioners, it is also a valuable resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as doctoral candidates specializing in the field of collective behavior modeling.

This monograph presents and analyzes the optimization, game-theoretic and simulation models of control mechanisms for ecological-economic systems. It is devoted to integrated assessment mechanisms for total risks and losses, penalty mechanisms, risk payment mechanisms, financing and costs compensation mechanisms for risk level reduction, sales mechanisms for risk level quotas, audit mechanisms, mechanisms for expected losses reduction, economic motivation mechanisms, optimization mechanisms for regional environmental (risk level reduction) programs, and mechanisms for authorities' interests coordination. The book is aiming at undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as at experts in mathematical modeling and control of ecological economic, socioeconomic and organizational systems.

Research Methodology: From Philosophy of Science to Research Design distinguishes itself from many other works devoted to research methodology and the philosophy of science in its integrated approach towards scientific research, which is regarded as the scientific project on all levels-from philosophy of science to research design. This work studies the basics of the methodology of scientific research and the organization of scientific activity from the viewpoint of systems science and system analysis. The book discusses the basics of the methodology including philosophical, psychological, epistemological and ethical/aesthetical foundations, the characteristics of scientific activity, including principles of scientific cognition, the means and methods of scientific research, the organization of a research implementation process and its chronological structure and finally, the organization of a collective scientific research design. The work should be of interest to researchers, students and professionals in the fields of systems science, cybernetics, systems engineering, philosophy of science and project management, as well as to specialists of applied activity in the fields of operations research, programming, mathematical modeling of decision-making in organizations and economics.

Research Methodology: From Philosophy of Science to Research Design distinguishes itself from many other works devoted to research methodology and the philosophy of science in its integrated approach towards scientific research, which is regarded as the scientific project on all levels-from philosophy of science to research design. This work studies the basics of the methodology of scientific research and the organization of scientific activity from the viewpoint of systems science and system analysis. The book discusses the basics of the methodology including philosophical, psychological, epistemological and ethical/aesthetical foundations, the characteristics of scientific activity, including principles of scientific cognition, the means and methods of scientific research, the organization of a research implementation process and its chronological structure and finally, the organization of a collective scientific research design. The work should be of interest to researchers, students and professionals in the fields of systems science, cybernetics, systems engineering, philosophy of science and project management, as well as to specialists of applied activity in the fields of operations research, programming, mathematical modeling of decision-making in organizations and economics.

Important world institutions, such as the United Nations (UN), the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Energy Agency (IEA), and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), have publicly recognizing the highly interconnected nature of our world and therefore the relevance of systemic thinking and cybernetics as leading knowledge foundations to deal with the complexity of economic, social, and environmental issues. This recognition was the driving force of the Internet discussions held by participants to the World Organisation of Systems and Cybernetics 18th Congress, which last September 27 to 29(WOSC 2021). More than ever we needed to debate and develop current ontological, epistemological, and methodological approaches to the understanding of the future of humanity. WOSC organized this event in collaboration with the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS). Scientists of this Academy together with scientists from all over the world made contributions to improving communications beyond particular nation states and regions toward the clarification of global issues like governance, health, education, technology, art, and others. Our aim in WOSC 2021 was bringing together scientists and researchers to collaborative debates at all levels from local communities to global societies. At the end of the Congress, scientists were invited to submit contributions to this Springer Nature book, along the following four themes: firstly, philosophical and methodological foundations for the development of the systems approach and cybernetics; secondly, the cybernetics of society, ecology and governance; thirdly, digital technologies and physical realities merging into a hybrid reality , and fourthly, the transdisciplinarity of systems sciences and cybernetics applied to the further development of knowledge areas, such as education, embodiment of social policies, and the arts. About 25 contributions were accepted for publication in this book. We see this as one of WOSC's important contribution to the scientific community around the world.

This book presents the methodology of complex activity with a set of interconnected mathematical models that describe the processes of technology design, adoption and use.It first discusses the technology of complex activity and its general models. The second chapter then introduces models of the processes of technology design and adoption, while Chapter 3 focuses on technology management models are presented in. Lastly, Chapter 4 examines analytical complexity and errors in solving technology design/optimization problems. This book is intended for experts and researchers interested in the general principles of activity organization and control of complex organizational and technical systems.

This book is dedicated to modern approaches to mathematical modeling of reflexive processes in control. The authors consider reflexive games that describe the gametheoretical interaction of agents making decisions based on a hierarchy of beliefs regarding (1) essential parameters (informational reflexion), (2) decision principles used by opponents (strategic reflexion), (3) beliefs about beliefs, and so on. Informational and reflexive equilibria in reflexive games generalize a series of well-known equilibrium concepts in noncooperative games and models of collective behavior. These models allow posing and solving the problems of informational and reflexive control in organizational, economic, social and other systems, in military applications, etc. (the interested reader will find in the book over 30 examples of possible applications in these fields) and describing uniformly many psychological/sociological phenomena connected with reflexion, viz., implicit control, informational control via the mass media, reflexion in chess, art works, etc. The present book is intended for experts in decision making and control of systems of an interdisciplinary nature, as well as for undergraduates and postgraduates.