Dr. José R. Nicolás-Carlock

About

I am a researcher interested in the study of nature and society from the perspective of complexity science with focus on spatial networks, social dynamics, corruption and violence. Currently, I’m a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Complex Systems at the Institute of Physics of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

Research

A full publication list can be found here:

[Google Scholar] [ResearchGate] [Scopus] [ORCID]

Crime, Corruption & Violence

corruption

(2023) Organized crime behavior of shell-company networks in procurement: prevention insights for policy and reform. J.R. Nicolás-Carlock & I. Luna-Pla, Trends in Organized Crime [Open Access]
(2021) Corruption Networks: Concepts and Applications. O.M. Granados & J.R. Nicolás-Carlock (Eds), Understanding Complex Systems Series, Springer [Online]
(2020) Corruption and complexity: a scientific framework for the analysis of corruption networks. I. Luna-Pla & J.R. Nicolás-Carlock, in Structure and Dynamics of Crime, Applied Network Science [Open Access]

social

(2025) Group identity without social interactions? Ramos-Fernandez, G., Smith Aguilar, S.E., Pietrangeli, E., Jasso-del Toro, C., Nicolás-Carlock J.R., Boyer, D., Pinacho-Guendulain, B., Montiel Castro, A., Aureli, F. Behavioral and Brain Sciences [Online]
(2024) Spatial scales of COVID-19 transmission in Mexico. Klein, B., Hartle, H., Shrestha, M, Zenteno, A.C., Barros-Sierra, D., Nicolas-Carlock, J.R., Bento, A.I., Althouse, B.M., Gutierrez, B., Escalera-Zamudio, M., Reyes-Sandoval, A., Pybus, O.G., Vespignani, A., Diaz-Quiñonez, J.A., Scarpino, S., Kraemer, M., PNAS Nexus [Open Access]
(2024) Strength of minority ties: the role of homophily and group composition in a weighted social network. J.R. Nicolás-Carlock, D. Boyer, S.E. Smith-Aguilar & G. Ramos-Fernández, Journal of Physics: Complexity [Open Access]

Complexity in/of Physical Systems

$fractals$

(2023) Network efficiency of spatial systems with fractal morphology: a geometric graphs approach. A.C. Flores-Ortega, J.R. Nicolás-Carlock & J.L. Carrillo-Estrada. Scientific Reports [Open Access]
(2023) Diffusion limited aggregation, resetting and large deviations of Brownian motion. U. Villanueva-Alacalá, J.R. Nicolás-Carlock & D. Boyer. Molecular Physics [Online]
(2019) A universal dimensionality function for the fractal dimensions of Laplacian growth. J.R. Nicolás-Carlock & J.L. Carrillo-Estrada. Scientific Reports [Open Access]
(2016) Fractality à la carte: a general particle aggregation model. J.R. Nicolás-Carlock, V. Dossetti & J.L. Carrillo-Estrada. Scientific Reports [Open Access]

Sci-comm & Outreach Projects

Here are some collaborative efforts (academia and beyond) to make complexity science accessible and useful to society.

Complexity Explained

A worldwide effort from the complex systems community to explain the main concepts and ideas of complexity science in an accessible manner. Website: https://complexityexplained.github.io/

Complexity Explained (2019) M. De Domenico, C. Camargo, C. Gershenson, D. Goldsmith, S. Jeschonnek, L. Kay, S. Nichele, J.R. Nicolás-Carlock, T. Schmickl, M. Stella, J. Brandoff, A. J. Martínez Salinas, H. Sayama. [doi:10.17605/OSF.IO/TQGNW]
Complejidad Explicada (2019) (Spanish transl. of Complexity Explained) Translators: V. C. Valerio Holguín, C. Gershenson, J. L. Herrera, J. H. Martínez, M. Rueda Santos, O. López Corona, G. de Anda Jáuregui, G. Iñiguez, A. J. Morales Guzmán, J.R. Nicolás-Carlock. [PDF]

Red Compleja

A sci-comm project for the Spanish speaking community about complex systems and network science. | Founders: A.J. Morales-Guzmán & J.R. Nicolás-Carlock | X-Twitter: @redcompleja

Observatorio de la Corrupción e Impunidad (OCI-UNAM)

Observatory for Corruption and Impunity (OCI) at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). A platform for interdisciplinary research on corruption and impunity with the aim of contributing to the strengthening of the rule of law and the effective application of legal norms. Co-leader (2022-2024). | Website: OCI-UNAM