Self-organization of progress across the century of physics

2013/04/24 by Matjaž Perc · 5 citations
Computer Science · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Environmental Science · #Chaos, Complexity, and Education #Complex Systems and Time Series Analysis #Ecosystem dynamics and resilience

paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/srep01720

openalex publication_date 2013/04/24 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31

Abstract

We make use of information provided in the titles and abstracts of over half a million publications that were published by the American Physical Society during the past 119 years. By identifying all unique words and phrases and determining their monthly usage patterns, we obtain quantifiable insights into the trends of physics discovery from the end of the 19th century to today. We show that the magnitudes of upward and downward trends yield heavy-tailed distributions and that their emergence is due to the Matthew effect. This indicates that both the rise and fall of scientific paradigms is driven by robust principles of self-organization. Data also confirm that periods of war decelerate scientific progress and that the later is very much subject to globalisation.

Citations

• Power-law distributions in empirical data
• Matplotlib: A 2D Graphics Environment
• Structure and dynamics of molecular networks: A novel paradigm of drug discovery
• Evolution of the social network of scientific collaborations
• Evolution of the most common English words and phrases over the centuries

Cited by

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• The Matthew effect in empirical data
• Debunking revolutionary paradigm shifts: evidence of cumulative scientific progress across science
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• Matjaž Perc [wikipedia]