Network Science's Chief Economist

About this episode

Matthew O. Jackson discusses his influential work on the economics of networks and its applications in understanding human behavior.

Matthew O. Jackson is perhaps the world’s most renowned scholar of the economics of networks; as a 2005-06 CASBS fellow, he wrote most of his still-influential book Social and Economic Networks. In this wide-ranging conversation with 2025-26 CASBS fellow Rajiv Sethi, Jackson discusses his foundational work on strategic modeling of networks, empirical applications on the role of economic connectedness in influencing people’s life trajectories in the U.S., related multi-disciplinary and cross-national work he is undertaking at the Sant Fe Institute, and recent cutting-edge work using large language models to gain insights into human motivations and behaviors.

People in this episode

Host: Rajiv Sethi

Guest: Matthew O. Jackson

Topics covered

• network science
• economics
• human behavior
• strategic modeling
• economic connectedness

Keywords

• network science
• economics
• human motivations
• large language models
• empirical applications

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, Santa Fe Institute

Books & works: Social and Economic Networks

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