David J.T. Sumpter
Professor at Department of Information Technology; Division of Systems and Control
- Telephone:
- +46 18 471 62 26
- Mobile phone:
- +46 70 425 03 37
- E-mail:
- david.sumpter@it.uu.se
- Visiting address:
- Hus 10, Lägerhyddsvägen 1
- Postal address:
- Box 337
751 05 UPPSALA
Professor at Department of Mathematics; Academic staff
- Mobile phone:
- +46 70 425 03 37
- E-mail:
- david.sumpter@math.uu.se
- Visiting address:
- Ångströmlaboratoriet, Lägerhyddsvägen 1
- Postal address:
- Box 480
751 06 UPPSALA
Download contact information for David J.T. Sumpter at Department of Mathematics; Academic staff
Professor at Department of Mathematics; Statistics, AI and Data Science
- Mobile phone:
- +46 70 425 03 37
- E-mail:
- david.sumpter@math.uu.se
- Visiting address:
- Ångströmlaboratoriet, Lägerhyddsvägen 1
- Postal address:
- Box 480
751 06 UPPSALA
Short presentation
I am Professor of Applied Mathematics. You can follow me on Twitter.
I have a webpage where you can learn about what I do here: www.david-sumpter.com

Publications
Recent publications
Properties of the 'friend of a friend' model for network generation
Part of Journal of Complex Networks, 2024
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Part of Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, p. 74-93, 2024
- DOI for Sharing Four Biscuits Between Three People: An Illustrative Example of How Mathematics is Intertwined with Human Values
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The lost art of mathematical modelling
Part of Mathematical Biosciences, 2023
- DOI for The lost art of mathematical modelling
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Using neuronal models to capture burst-and-glide motion and leadership in fish
Part of Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 2023
- DOI for Using neuronal models to capture burst-and-glide motion and leadership in fish
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Ethics as part of mathematical reasoning in sharing
Part of Prometeica, p. 649-657, 2023
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All publications
Articles in journal
Properties of the 'friend of a friend' model for network generation
Part of Journal of Complex Networks, 2024
- DOI for Properties of the 'friend of a friend' model for network generation
- Download full text (pdf) of Properties of the 'friend of a friend' model for network generation
Part of Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, p. 74-93, 2024
- DOI for Sharing Four Biscuits Between Three People: An Illustrative Example of How Mathematics is Intertwined with Human Values
- Download full text (pdf) of Sharing Four Biscuits Between Three People: An Illustrative Example of How Mathematics is Intertwined with Human Values
The lost art of mathematical modelling
Part of Mathematical Biosciences, 2023
- DOI for The lost art of mathematical modelling
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Using neuronal models to capture burst-and-glide motion and leadership in fish
Part of Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 2023
- DOI for Using neuronal models to capture burst-and-glide motion and leadership in fish
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Ethics as part of mathematical reasoning in sharing
Part of Prometeica, p. 649-657, 2023
- DOI for Ethics as part of mathematical reasoning in sharing
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Finding analytical approximations for discrete, stochastic, individual-based models of ecology
Part of Mathematical Biosciences, 2023
- DOI for Finding analytical approximations for discrete, stochastic, individual-based models of ecology
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Friend of a friend models of network growth
Part of Royal Society Open Science, 2022
- DOI for Friend of a friend models of network growth
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Part of European Journal of Crime, Criminal Law and Criminal Justice, p. 46-75, 2020
Rapid evolution of coordinated and collective movement in response to artificial selection
Part of Science Advances, 2020
- DOI for Rapid evolution of coordinated and collective movement in response to artificial selection
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Quantifying the structure and dynamics of fish shoals under predation threat in three dimensions
Part of Behavioral Ecology, p. 311-321, 2020
Phenotypic variability predicts decision accuracy in unicellular organisms
Part of Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences, 2019
Inferring the dynamics of rising radical right-wing party support using Gaussian processes
Part of Philosophical Transactions. Series A, 2019
Assortative interactions revealed by sorting of animal groups
Part of Animal Behaviour, p. 165-179, 2018
Brain size does not impact shoaling dynamics in unfamiliar groups of guppies (Poecilia reticulata)
Part of Behavioural Processes, p. 13-20, 2018
Mathematical modeling reveals spontaneous emergence of self-replication in chemical reaction systems
Part of Journal of Biological Chemistry, p. 18854-18863, 2018
- DOI for Mathematical modeling reveals spontaneous emergence of self-replication in chemical reaction systems
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Part of PLOS ONE, 2018
- DOI for Using Bayesian dynamical systems, model averaging and neural networks to determine interactions between socio-economic indicators
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Part of PLOS ONE, 2018
- DOI for Choice modelling with Gaussian processes in the social sciences: A case study of neighbourhood choice in Stockholm
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Is the golden ratio a universal constant for self-replication?
Part of PLOS ONE, 2018
- DOI for Is the golden ratio a universal constant for self-replication?
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Part of Sociological Methods & Research, p. 103-135, 2018
- DOI for Identifying Complex Dynamics in Social Systems: A New Methodological Approach Applied to Study School Segregation
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Part of Royal Society Open Science, 2017
- DOI for Body size affects the strength of social interactions and spatial organization of a schooling fish (Pseudomugil signifer)
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Part of Methods in Ecology and Evolution, p. 1735-1744, 2017
Local interactions and global properties of wild, free-ranging stickleback shoals
Part of Royal Society Open Science, 2017
- DOI for Local interactions and global properties of wild, free-ranging stickleback shoals
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Modelling optimal allocation of resources in the context of an incurable disease
Part of PLOS ONE, 2017
- DOI for Modelling optimal allocation of resources in the context of an incurable disease
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Part of International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology, p. 457-470, 2017
Escape path complexity and its context dependency in Pacific blue-eyes (Pseudomugil signifer)
Part of Journal of Experimental Biology, p. 2076-2081, 2017
Part of Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 2017
- DOI for Insights into resource consumption, cross-feeding, system collapse, stability and biodiversity from an artificial ecosystem
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Transition from isotropic to digitated growth modulates network formation in Physarum polycephalum
Part of Journal of Physics D, 2017
How predation shapes the social interaction rules of shoaling fish
Part of Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences, 2017
Setting development goals using stochastic, dynamical system models
Part of Plos One, 2017
- DOI for Setting development goals using stochastic, dynamical system models
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Revising the Human Development Sequence Theory Using an Agent-Based Approach and Data
Part of JASSS, 2016
Collective selection of food patches in Drosophila
Part of Journal of Experimental Biology, p. 668-675, 2016
Emergent Structural Mechanisms for High-Density Collective Motion Inspired by Human Crowds
Part of Physical Review Letters, 2016
An experimental study of segregation mechanisms
Part of EPJ DATA SCIENCE, 2016
A Turing test for collective motion
Part of Biology Letters, 2015
- DOI for A Turing test for collective motion
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Understanding Democracy and Development Traps Using a Data-Driven Approach
Part of Big Data, p. 22-33, 2015
The shape and dynamics of local attraction
Part of The European Physical Journal Special Topics, p. 3311-3323, 2015
The Impact of Human Mobility on HIV Transmission in Kenya
Part of PLOS ONE, 2015
- DOI for The Impact of Human Mobility on HIV Transmission in Kenya
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The Demographic Transition and Economic Growth: Implications for Development Policy
Part of Palgrave Communications, 2015
- DOI for The Demographic Transition and Economic Growth: Implications for Development Policy
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Integration of Social Information by Human Groups
Part of Topics in Cognitive Science, p. 469-493, 2015
Local cost minimization in ant transport networks: from small-scale data to large-scale trade-offs
Part of Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 2015
Phenotypic variability in unicellular organisms: from calcium signalling to social behaviour
Part of Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences, 2015
Initiation and spread of escape waves within animal groups
Part of ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE, 2015
Symmetry Restoring Bifurcation in Collective Decision-Making
Part of PloS Computational Biology, 2014
Symmetry Restoring Bifurcation in Collective Decision-Making
Part of PloS Computational Biology, 2014
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The Dynamics of Democracy, Development and Cultural Values
Part of PLOS ONE, 2014
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Bayesian Dynamical Systems Modelling in the Social Sciences
Part of PLOS ONE, 2014
- DOI for Bayesian Dynamical Systems Modelling in the Social Sciences
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Solving the shepherding problem: Heuristics for herding autonomous, interacting agents
Part of Journal of the Royal Society Interface, p. 20140719, 2014
- DOI for Solving the shepherding problem: Heuristics for herding autonomous, interacting agents
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Part of Journal of the Royal Society Interface, p. 20130794, 2014
- DOI for A model comparison reveals dynamic social information drives the movements of humbug damselfish (Dascyllus aruanus)
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Part of Current Biology, 2014
Multi-scale Inference of Interaction Rules in Animal Groups Using Bayesian Model Selection
Part of PloS Computational Biology, 2013
- DOI for Multi-scale Inference of Interaction Rules in Animal Groups Using Bayesian Model Selection
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Part of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, p. 13769-13773, 2013
Initiators, leaders and recruitment mechanisms in the collective movements of damselfish
Part of American Naturalist, p. 748-760, 2013
Current-reinforced random walks for constructing transport networks
Part of Journal of the Royal Society Interface, p. 20120864, 2013
The dynamics of audience applause
Part of Journal of the Royal Society Interface, p. 20130466, 2013
Foraging at the Edge of Chaos: Internal Clock versus External Forcing
Part of Physical Review Letters, p. 268104, 2013
Interaction rules underlying group decisions in homing pigeons
Part of Journal of the Royal Society Interface, p. 20130529, 2013
- DOI for Interaction rules underlying group decisions in homing pigeons
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Tuning positive feedback for signal detection in noisy dynamic environments
Part of Journal of Theoretical Biology, p. 88-95, 2012
Quorum Decision-Making in Foraging Fish Shoals
Part of PLOS ONE, 2012
- DOI for Quorum Decision-Making in Foraging Fish Shoals
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The Dynamics, Causes and Possible Prevention of Hepatitis E Outbreaks
Part of PLOS ONE, 2012
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How dancing honey bees keep track of changes: the role of inspector bees
Part of Behavioral Ecology, p. 588-596, 2012
Visual attention and the acquisition of information in human crowds
Part of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, p. 7245-7250, 2012
Synergy and Group Size in Microbial Cooperation
Part of American Naturalist, p. 296-305, 2012
Individual Rules for Trail Pattern Formation in Argentine Ants (Linepithema humile)
Part of PloS Computational Biology, 2012
- DOI for Individual Rules for Trail Pattern Formation in Argentine Ants (Linepithema humile)
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Multi-scale Inference of Interaction Rules in Animal Groups Using Bayesian Model Selection
Part of PloS Computational Biology, 2012
Part of Current Biology, 2012
Optimisation in a natural system: Argentine ants solve the Towers of Hanoi
Part of Journal of Experimental Biology, p. 50-58, 2011
Moving calls: a vocal mechanism underlying quorum decisions in cohesive groups
Part of Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences, p. 1482-1488, 2011
Fast and accurate decisions through collective vigilance in fish shoals
Part of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, p. 2312-2315, 2011
Structure and formation of ant transportation networks
Part of Journal of the Royal Society Interface, p. 1298-1306, 2011
Understanding Animal Group-Size Distributions
Part of PLOS ONE, 2011
A first principles derivation of animal group size distributions
Part of Journal of Theoretical Biology, p. 35-43, 2011
Collective Irrationality and Positive Feedback
Part of PLoS ONE, 2011
Inferring the rules of interaction of shoaling fish
Part of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, p. 18726-18731, 2011
A dynamical approach to stock market fluctuations
Part of International Journal of Bifurcation and Chaos in Applied Sciences and Engineering, p. 3557-3564, 2011
Shape and efficiency of wood ant foraging networks
Part of Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, p. 451-460, 2009
Inherent noise can facilitate coherence in collective swarm motion
Part of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, p. 5464-5469, 2009
Quorum responses and consensus decision making
Part of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences, p. 743-753, 2009
The role of multiple pheromones in food recruitment by ants
Part of Journal of Experimental Biology, p. 2337-2348, 2009
Information transfer in moving animal groups
Part of Theory in biosciences, p. 177-186, 2008
Consensus Decision Making by Fish
Part of Current Biology, p. 1773-1777, 2008
Quorum decision-making facilitates information transfer in fish shoals
Part of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, p. 6948-6953, 2008
The evolution of helping and harming on graphs: the return of the inclusive fitness effect
Part of Journal of Evolutionary Biology, p. 2284-2295, 2007
Articles, review/survey
Using activity and sociability to characterize collective motion
Part of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences, 2018
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The modelling cycle for collective animal behaviour
Part of INTERFACE FOCUS, p. 764-773, 2012