Mathematics and sociology
Sociology is a relatively recent field, and yet its links with mathematics are already well established. Thus, statistics, data analysis, and decision theory are widely used tools. But in the era of social networks, modeling interactions between individuals has become essential. To do this, the need for cutting-edge mathematics has exploded: graph theory, linear algebra, and principal component analysis are entering the field of human and social sciences.
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Sociology briefs: math meets social science | Tangente
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Social networks
Long before the term "social network" became widely used for online platforms that enable social interaction, researchers had studied networks of interpersonal relationships and defined concepts describing their main properties.
Preference modelling: voting and social choice | Tangente
We are all constantly called upon to make choices based on our preferences. Modelling them is a crucial step in decision support and is therefore of interest to the social sciences, particularly sociology.
Christian de Montlibert: Sociology is a science | Tangente
Emeritus professor at Marc Bloch University in Strasbourg, Christian de Montlibert is a passionate advocate of using statistical methods in sociology. He stresses the importance of grounding sociology in mathematical methods.
Sociologists and mathematicians: Condorcet, Quételet | Tangente
Throughout the 20th century, mathematicians drew on their knowledge and developed statistical methods to gain a better understanding of sociology.
Correspondence analysis
How can social data be examined without falling prey to preconceived ideas or stereotypes? Correspondence analysis, though now losing ground to other techniques, is a method that makes it possible to replace common sense and preconceptions with neutral, objective factors.