Spring 2026 International Postdoctoral Forum

Wednesday 4 February, 12:15 pm CST (UTC -6)

Formal template accumulation, unification, and scientific progress
Edoardo Peruzzi, Leibniz University Hannover

Contemporary science is increasingly organized around templates (Humphreys 2002, Knuuttila and Loettgers 2014). Especially in model-based disciplines, formal templates (equations, algorithms, network topologies, games, etc.) are repeatedly used for model construction. Yet an open question concerns the processes through which new formal templates are developed and subsequently integrated into the existing repertoire. Drawing on a case study from game theory, I propose an account of what I call “formal template accumulation” and identify the conditions under which this process can yield unification and progress in model-based sciences.

Commentator: Jasmin Özel, Minnesota Center for Philosophy of Science, University of Minnesota

Zoom webinar link: z.umn.edu/IPDF26-1