It is easy to find many examples in the fields of sociophysics and econophysics of how physical models and methods help us to understand and describe social and economic systems. However, what it is no so common is to find that a research on collective human behavior inspired new methods for quantum physics. In this seminar, I would like to tell you how I found a novel computational method for diagonalizing the multidimensional Schrödinger equation [1] while I was working with Spanish population data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) [2]. In a more general overview, I will also show how some of the computational tools we use for physics are now used for Big Data applications, as for designing electoral and marketing campaigns or optimizing transportation networks [3].

[1] Imaginary-time nonuniform mesh method for solving the multidimensional Schrodinger equation. Alberto Hernando and Jiri Vanicek, Phys. Rev. A 88, 062107 (2013).

[2] Space–time correlations in urban sprawl. A. Hernando, R. Hernando, A. Plastino. J. R. Soc. Interface 11, 20130930 (2013).

[3] Unidos por fractales: las animaciones que muestran cómo nos conectan las carreteras. El País - Verne. 1 OCT 2016 (http://verne.elpais.com/verne/2016/09/30/articulo/1475225982_737639.html)