Paolo Palladino <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Dear all, > > I wonder if anyone knows of any discussion of the following problem > relating to the modeling of population dynamics: when the model 'crashes', > how does one distinguish between the mathematical/computational > peculiarities of the algorithm and the biological peculiarities of the > population modeled? > > Related to this question is also my search for discussions of the > difference between 'crashes' and 'accidents'. The best I have found so far > is the discussion in Andrewartha and Birch (1984), but it is not very > satisfactory for being fundamentally a limited, empirical assessment. > > Ultimately, what I have in mind and is the reason for these questions is > the problem presented by the financial crash of 1987. It was unclear where > the problem lay, either in instabilities of the financial markets or the in > the models used to intervene in these markets. One account (Gumbrecht 1994) > is that the two are inseparable. I wonder whether this insight might be > extended to the modeling of population dynamics. > > Any help would be much appreciated, and thanks to all who answered my > related request for information on lemmings. > > Paolo > > Paolo Palladino > Department of History > Lancaster University > Lancaster LA1 4YG > UNITED KINGDOM > > W (01524) 592 793 > H (01524) 847 489 > [log in to unmask]