Reports from the 12th international WOSC congress and the 4th IIGSS workshop, Pittsburgh, Pensylvania, USA, March 24-26, 2002

Citation

(2002), "Reports from the 12th international WOSC congress and the 4th IIGSS workshop, Pittsburgh, Pensylvania, USA, March 24-26, 2002", Kybernetes, Vol. 31 No. 7/8. https://doi.org/10.1108/k.2002.06731gab.002

Reports from the 12th international WOSC congress and the 4th IIGSS workshop, Pittsburgh, Pensylvania, USA, March 24-26, 2002

Kybernetes and the congressRepresentation and sponsorship

Kybernetes was represented by the journal patron, members of the Editorial Team and the Advisory Board. Emerald, the publishers of Kybernetes – The International Journal of Systems and Cybernetics, sponsored the Kybernetes Research Award and awards for individual highly commended papers. The journal having been choosen as the official publication for the World Organisation of Systems and Cybernetics (WOSC).

Kybernetes research awards

An award for an outstanding contribution to the Congress which challenged participants to present the results of their leading-edge research in Systems and Cybernetics. Three "highly commended" awards for outstanding presentations were also choosen. The awards were decided by a panel of judges:

Professor Robert Vallée (Patron) – Chairman

Dr Alex. M. Andrew (Internet Editor) – Leading Member.

The awards were: Kybernetes Research Award:

The award was for £300.00 ($420 approx.) together with a year's subscription to Kybernetes (Approx. $6,399 US) – Vol. 32 Nos. 1-10, 2003, p. 1300.

Highly commended awards: A maximum of three papers presented were given this award.

Subject to copyright, the "Kybernetes Research" Award-winning paper together with the three "Highly Commended" papers will be published in Kybernetes 2002/3.

Kybernetes award winners

The following were choosen by the judges to merit the awards and the certificates were presented at a ceremony held at the Congress by the Director- General of WOSC. The winners were:

Plate 1. Gary P. Shaffer (right) received a "Highly Commended" award from Robert Vallée (left) and Alex Andrew (centre)

Plate 2. Robert Vallée and Alex Andrew presented a "Highly Commended" award to Sifeng Liu and Yi Lin

Kybernetes Research Award WinnerA LEARNING MODEL FOR THE DUAL EVOLUTION OF HUMAN SOCIAL BEHAVIORSM. Nemiche and Rafael Pla-Lopez Department of Applied Mathematics, Universitat de València, SpainE-mail: Rafael.Pla@uv.esWeb: http:/www.uv.es/~plaAbstractIn this work we modelize, with an abstract mathematical model by computer simulation, the processes that have made to appear in the world a strong duality between orient and occident, by combining changes in conditions of initialization, natural system and the opposition gregarious/individualism of the social behaviors.Finally we present a statistical study of the influence of the repression adaptability, resignation and recycling on the ecological destruction and social evolution. This model can help us to analyze if the current capitalist globalization can be stopped, changed or regulated, and if it is possible to overcome it toward a Free Scientific Society.

Kybernates Research Awards – Highly Commended PapersTHE BRIDGE TO HUMANITY'S FUTURETEST OF A MULTIMEDIA ADDRESSWillart R. Fey and Ann C.W. Lam Ecocosm Dynamics, Ltd., 1830 Cameo Court, Tucker, Georgia, USA 30084 - 7001 Fey@ecocosmDynamics.orgAbstractHuman life on Earth is threatened by the growth of world human consumption which quadruples every 35 years. Major environmental imbalances may soon severely deplete our planetary life-support system. However, the world economy is designed to create and depend on consumption growth. If this growth were to stop, major economic, social and military crises could result. We call this tragic dilemma the Ecocosm Paradox. Powerful human instincts drive the positive feedback-loop processes that generates consumption growth. This growth involves many human, technological, and natural environmental variables whose separate study has given rise to specialized intellectual disciplines. However, in order to address our current dilemma, these variables must be analyzed together as a single, complex process. A new method of analysis, synthesis, and implementation based on a new transdisciplinary field, "Ecocosm Dynamics", is herein proposed for this analysis.

THE TECHNICAL CHANGE AND THE FUNDS FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGYSifeng LiuCollege of Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, P.R. China; E-mail: sfliu@nuaa.edu.cnYi LinMathematics Department, Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, PA 16057, USAYaoguo Dang, Bingjun LiInstitute of Management Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002,P.R. ChinaAbstract

A new model, the G-C-D model, which is used to measure the technological advance, is built. The progress with non-technical elements in Solow's "remaining value" is removed by using the idea, method and modeling technique of grey system theory. So the difficult technical problem in measurement of technological advance has been solved to a certain extent. Another new model, the G-E model, which is a kind model combined the Grey model with the Econometrics model, is built. Using the principle of grey incidence to analyse and cluster system factors, adopting the GM(1,1) simulated values of systems variables to build the econometrics model and confirming the predicted values with grey models, some difficult technique in econometrics model building have been solved.

SIMULATING ECOSYSTEM DYNAMICS BY ISOLATING EVENTS COMPRISED OF ONLY A FEW VARIABLES: NEEDS FOR A K-SYSTEMS GRANULATION METHODOLOGYGary P. ShafferDepartment of Biological Sciences, Southern Lousaina University - 10736, Hammond, Louisiana 70402Phone: 504-549-2865, FAX: 504-549-3851E-mail: shafe@selu.eduAbstractEcosystem behavior is complex and may be controlled by myriad factors that change in space and time. Consequently, when exploring such system functions as ecosystem "health", scientists often measure dozens of variables and attempt to model the behavior of interest using combinations of variables and their potential interactions. This methodology, using parametric or non-parametric models, is often flawed because ecosystems are controlled by events, not variables, and events are comprised of (often tiny) pieces of variable combinations (states and substates). Most events are controlled by relatively few variables, and may be modified or modulated by several others, rendering event distributions. These event distributions may be thought of as comprising a set of fuzzy rules that could be used to drive simulation models.The problem with traditional approaches to modeling is that predictor variables are dealt with in total, except for interactions, which themselves must be static. In reality, the "low" piece of one variable may influence a particular event differently than another, depending on how pieces of other variables are shaping the event, as demonstrated by the k-systems state model of algal productivity. Oil-spill bioremediation and swamp restoration examples also demonstrate the changing faces of predictor variables with respect to influence on the system function, depending on particular states or substates.The swamp restoration study, used as an example herein, was designed to determine the feasibility of replumbing a portion of the Mississippi River into 160km² of degrading swamps surrounding Lake Maurepas, located in southeastern Louisiana, USA. Ecosystem "health" is measured by tree and ground cover productivity, and predictor variables include salinity, frequency and duration of flooding, soil strength, herbivory, 23 soil and water chemicals, pH, and Eh. As in many ecological data sets, the bulk of these variables tested out as collinear surrogates or as non-influential. In addition, some of the variables are positively, negatively, and completely unrelated to the system function, depending on influences (states) of other variables.Although K-systems analysis can be useful in finding potent events, even when region size is very small, current methods of granulating predictor variables are inappropriate because the information in the predictor variables rather than that of the system function is used to form clusters. What is needed is an iterative algorithm that granulates the predictor variables based on the information in the system function. In most ecological scenarios, predictor variables could be granulated to two or three categories with little loss of predictive potential.

Congress proceedings – special double (300pp) issue of Kybernetes

It is proposed to published a Special Issue of Kybernetes to include selected papers from the Congress/Workshop. The Guest Editor will be Dr Yi Lin. The double issue is scheduled to be despatched in November 2002 (Kybernetes, Vol. 31 Nos. 9/10, 2002). The papers will be selected by the Guest Editorial Team.

Selected papers – length 3,000-6,000 words

Content of paper: A full version of the Congress Paper – or updated paper reflecting revised material, and if so wished a change of title.

Copyright: Although the copyright of the "abstracts" of the proceedings is to be held by IIGSS it could be negotiated or transferred or re-affirmed.

Previous 11th WOSC Congress – a highly acclaimed Special publication of chosen papers was published – see: Kybernetes, Vol. 29, Issues 5-10, 2000, pp. 500-1364.

Congress special issues – proposed special issues

Two more special issues of Kybernetes will be compiled for Vol. 32 Nos. 1-10, 2003. The first on "Some New Theories about Space-Time" and the second on "Grey Systems Theory, Methodology and Applications". There were two technical sessions devoted to theories about space-time and 6 sessions on grey systems held at the Congress. The former issue will be guest edited by: Xiang Jun Feng, Paul Gibson and Yi Lin and the other issue by Mian Yun Chen, Sifeng Liu and Yi Lin.

Reconstructability analysis – special issue

Papers which were presented at the Congress or specially prepared for the purpose will be published in a special issue of Kybernetes, Vol. 32 Nos. 1-10, 2003, on "Reconstructability Analysis". This issue will be Guest Edited by Martin Zwick, Shu Guangfu and Yi Lin.