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Growth dynamics of German university enrolments and of scientific disciplines in the 19th century: Scaling behaviour under weak competitive pressure

Author

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  • Frank Havemann

    (Institute of Library Science, Humboldt-University Berlin)

  • Michael Heinz

    (Institute of Library Science, Humboldt-University Berlin)

  • Roland Wagner-Döbler

    (Institute of Library Science, Humboldt-University Berlin)

Abstract

According to authors like H. E. Stanley and others, growth dynamics of university research displays a quantitative behaviour similar to the growth dynamics of firms acting under competitive pressure. Features of such behaviour are probability distributions of annual growth rates or the standard deviation of growth rates. We show that a similar statistical behaviour can be observed in the growth dynamics of German university enrolments or in the growth dynamics of physics and mathematics, both for the 19th century. Since competitive pressure was generally weak at that time, interpretations of statistical similarities as to pointing to a “firm-like behaviour” are questionable.

Suggested Citation

  • Frank Havemann & Michael Heinz & Roland Wagner-Döbler, 2004. "Growth dynamics of German university enrolments and of scientific disciplines in the 19th century: Scaling behaviour under weak competitive pressure," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 60(3), pages 283-294, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:60:y:2004:i:3:d:10.1023_b:scie.0000034374.79769.ed
    DOI: 10.1023/B:SCIE.0000034374.79769.ed
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Youngki Lee & Luis A. N. Amaral & David Canning & Martin Meyer & H. Eugene Stanley, 1998. "Universal features in the growth dynamics of complex organizations," Papers cond-mat/9804100, arXiv.org.
    2. Sutton, John, 2002. "The variance of firm growth rates: the ‘scaling’ puzzle," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 312(3), pages 577-590.
    3. R. Wagner-Döbler & J. Berg, 1999. "Physics 1800–1900: A quantitative outline," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 46(2), pages 213-285, October.
    4. Vasiliki Plerou & Luís A. Nunes Amaral & Parameswaran Gopikrishnan & Martin Meyer & H. Eugene Stanley, 1999. "Similarities between the growth dynamics of university research and of competitive economic activities," Nature, Nature, vol. 400(6743), pages 433-437, July.
    5. Henk F. Moed & Marc Luwel, 1999. "The business of research," Nature, Nature, vol. 400(6743), pages 411-412, July.
    6. Luis A. N. Amaral & P. Gopikrishnan & Kaushik Matia & Vasiliki Plerou & H. E. Stanley, 2001. "Application of statistical physics methods and conceptsto the study of science & technology systems," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 51(1), pages 9-36, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Vieira, Elizabeth S. & Lepori, Benedetto, 2016. "The growth process of higher education institutions and public policies," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 10(1), pages 286-298.

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