mathematics, maybe Pythagoras was right: After all, many researchers believe music
does have the capacity to heal a person under certain circumstances.MATH AND THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
What is sociology?
Sociology is the study and classification of human societies. It delves into the relation-
ships among peoples—mostly within, but also outside, each culture. Sociology studies
are based on the idea that behavior of peoples is influenced by social, political, occupa-
tional, and intellectual groupings; it is also based on the immediate and particular set-
tings in which individuals reside.What is computational sociology?
Computational sociology is a branch of sociology that uses computation to under-
stand social phenomena. It takes great advantage of statistics to determine trends in
data and uses computer simulation in the construction of social theories. It is also
referred to as the study of social complexity.What are some mathematical conceptsused in demography?
Demography is the statistical study of human populations that reveals the characteris-
tics of the population. This includes such factors as size, density, growth, distribution,
and vital statistics. Some common demographic statistics include birth and death
380 rates, life expectancy, and infant mortality rates.
Are there some numbers that are “used”
more frequently in societies than others?T
here are numbers that appear to be used more frequently by some cultures
than by others. For example, according to The Secret Life of Numbersby
Golan Levin, et al.(2002) certain numbers, such as 212, 911, 1040, 1492, 1776, or
90210, occur more frequently because they are used to identify such entities as
phone numbers, zip codes, tax forms, computer chips, famous dates, or even tele-
vision programs that figure conspicuously in Western culture. Picking the powers
of ten also reflects the standard base 10 numbering system used in the West; num-
bers such as 12345, 456, or 9999 are used because they are easy to remember.