Anastasia Bizyaeva, Cornell University

Abstract

In this talk, we present and analyze a nonlinear dynamic modeling framework to explore how individuals' beliefs are shaped by the complex interplay between external factors, such as social network effects, and internal factors, including personal biases. We examine the implications of nonlinearity in belief formation dynamics for epidemic spread, where individuals form beliefs about infection risk and adjust their behavior accordingly. Finally, we introduce a new extension of the framework that incorporates indirect inference of neighbors' beliefs and the multidimensional effects recently proposed in the Networks of Beliefs Theory.

Speaker Bio: Anastasia Bizyaeva is an assistant professor in the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University where her research program at explores mathematical connections between collectively intelligent behavior in biological and social systems, and the design of autonomous and artificially intelligent behaviors in engineered teams. Prior to joining Cornell she was a Postdoctoral Scholar with the AI Institute in Dynamic Systems at the University of Washington. She received her Ph.D. in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Princeton University in 2022 under the supervision of Professor Naomi Ehrich Leonard, and her B.A. in physics with a minor in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in 2016.