A significant milestone: First articles from PLOS Complex Systems

A commentary on the first articles in our new journal for complex systems research.

by Editor-in-Chief Hocine Cherifi 

The inaugural papers in PLOS Complex Systems mark a significant milestone for the journal. These pioneering studies embody the interdisciplinary spirit essential for understanding and solving the intricate challenges faced by our interconnected world. Their publication validates the innovative approaches taken by the researchers. It underscores the importance of complex systems science in addressing critical issues such as inequality, public health, and food security.

Reaching this first milestone with PLOS Complex Systems is a moment of immense pride and anticipation. It begins a journey toward establishing a robust platform for disseminating transformative research. There is a sense of eager expectation for the forthcoming studies that will further enrich our understanding of complex systems. We look forward to fostering a vibrant community of scholars and practitioners and witnessing the journal’s growth as it champions groundbreaking research that addresses some of our time’s most pressing and intricate challenges.

Reflecting on the upcoming publications in PLOS Complex Systems, it’s thrilling to witness the breadth, depth, and diversity of research shared with the scientific community. 

The paper Emergence of economic and social disparities through competitive gift-giving by Kenji Itao and Kunihiko Kaneko offers an innovative analysis of how benign social behaviors can lead to significant inequalities. Using a complex systems approach to model competitive gift-giving, the authors investigate the unintended consequences of these social practices, highlighting their role in perpetuating economic and social disparities. This research is pivotal for understanding how individual actions aggregate to produce large-scale societal effects. It also offers valuable insights for policymakers aiming to reduce inequality and foster more equitable economic systems.

Another notable contribution is Emergence of an unpredictable evolution in a spatial prisoner’s dilemma via a player’s multiple perspectives by Tomoko Sakiyama and Ken’ichi Kojo. This paper examines the dynamics of the Spatial Prisoner’s Dilemma (SPD), a classic model of conflict and cooperation. The authors uncover how unpredictable and unstable evolutionary patterns can emerge. This is done by introducing new models where players can alter their neighborhood interactions based on their strategies. This study is significant as it bridges evolutionary game theory and complex systems. It illustrates how local interactions and adaptations can lead to critical phase transitions and complex population dynamics. These findings enhance our theoretical understanding of SPD and have practical implications for designing systems and interventions that harness or mitigate these evolutionary processes.

How position in the network determines the fate of lexical innovations on Twitter by Louise Tarrade, Jean-Pierre Chevrot, and Jean-Philippe Magué provides a comprehensive analysis of the diffusion dynamics of lexical innovations on Twitter. Using a dataset of 650 million French tweets, the authors explore how the social network positions of adopters influence the success or failure of these innovations. They categorize the innovations into “changes” (which become established) and “buzzes” (which decline over time).

The study finds that change and buzz adopters have similar peripheral profiles during the early phases. Still, as changes propagate, they spread to more prestigious and central individuals, while buzzes do not. By the establishment phase, changes reach highly central users with closer external ties. These findings align with sociolinguistic theories, suggesting that weak ties facilitate innovation while strong ties aid establishment. Additionally, logistic regression models indicate that the profiles of early adopters can predict the fate of innovations. This sheds light on the intricate interplay between social networks and language evolution.

The concurrent publication of the extensive tweet corpus and user network data is a notable contribution to Open Science. It encourages explorations beyond the typically English-dominated datasets. This work enhances our understanding of online language dynamics. It paves the way for future studies to investigate the diffusion of innovations in various linguistic and cultural contexts.

Determinants and facilitators of community coalition diffusion of prevention efforts by Travis R. Moore*, Mark C. Pachucki, and Christina D. Economos represents a significant contribution to public health and community engagement, particularly in childhood obesity prevention. By examining the interplay between individual characteristics and network dynamics within community coalitions, the study explores the mechanisms that drive the diffusion of prevention efforts. This research is crucial as it identifies the factors that enhance or hinder the spread of effective health interventions. It also provides a framework for understanding how community-driven initiatives can be optimized.

The findings underscore the importance of fostering strong interpersonal relationships and collaborative networks. These are essential for successfully implementing public health strategies. As communities increasingly seek to address complex health challenges through collaborative efforts, understanding the determinants of coalition effectiveness becomes paramount. This paper is a practical guide for practitioners and policymakers to leverage community coalitions for improved health outcomes.

Explore PLOS Complex Systems

Get the latest articles from PLOS Complex Systems direct to your inbox by signing up here.