Networks, Dynamics and Explanation
James Woodward,
PhilSci Archive,
Jun 10, 2025
When describing 'connections' in connectivism, I typically add the phrase "...such that a change of state in one node may result in a change of state in the connected node'. From my perspective, this paper explains why. The author argues, essentially, that "variation in network structure explains variation in outcomes, for a given dynamics." The 'given dynamics' are what describe the way changes of state can happen. A network isn't simply an abstract, but "networks with similar properties to be used to describe a wide variety of systems which differ in their material properties or causal details-- ecological networks with the same structure can represent relations of predation or of parasitism, small world networks can represent relations in the brain or social relations and so on." Long and technical paper. 37 page MS-Word doc.
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