| Issue |
EPL
Volume 81, Number 4, February 2008
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Article Number | 48006 | |
| Number of page(s) | 4 | |
| Section | Interdisciplinary Physics and Related Areas of Science and Technology | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1209/0295-5075/81/48006 | |
| Published online | 21 January 2008 | |
A simple mathematical model of society collapse applied to Easter Island
Instituto de Alta Investigación, Universidad de Tarapacá - Casilla 6-D, Arica, Chile
Received:
12
August
2007
Accepted:
15
December
2007
In this paper we consider a mathematical model for the evolution and collapse of the Easter Island society. Based on historical reports, the available primary resources consisted almost exclusively in the trees, then we describe the inhabitants and the resources as an isolated dynamical system. A mathematical, and numerical, analysis about the Easter Island community collapse is performed. In particular, we analyze the critical values of the fundamental parameters and a demographic curve is presented. The technological parameter, quantifying the exploitation of the resources, is calculated and applied to the case of another extinguished civilization (Copán Maya) confirming the consistency of the adopted model.
PACS: 87.23.Ge – Dynamics of social systems / 87.23.Kg – Dynamics of evolution / 87.10.+e – General theory and mathematical aspects
© EPLA, 2008
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