Complexity : A Guided Tour

What enables individually simple insects like ants to act with such precision and purpose as a group? How do trillions of neurons produce something as extraordinarily complex as consciousness? In this remarkably clear and companionable book, leading complex systems scientist Melanie Mitchell provides an intimate tour of the sciences of complexity, a broad set of efforts that seek to explain how large-scale complex, organized, and adaptive behavior can emerge from simple interactions among myriad individuals. Based on her work at the Santa Fe Institute and drawing on its interdisciplinary strategies, Mitchell brings clarity to the workings of complexity across a broad range of biological, technological, and social phenomena, seeking out the general principles or laws that apply to all of them. Richly illustrated, Complexity: A Guided Tour --winner of the 2010 Phi Beta Kappa Book Award in Science--offers a wide-ranging overview of the ideas underlying complex systems science, the current research at the forefront of this field, and the prospects for its contribution to solving some of the most important scientific questions of our time. From Booklist All theoretical models are wrong, but some are useful. Both inevitable error and promising usefulness abound in the bold conceptual models that Mitchell surveys in exploring the nascent science of complexity. Readers will marvel at the sheer range of settings in which complex systems operate: from ant hills to the stock market, from T cells to Web searches, from disease epidemics to power outages, complexity challenges theorists intellectual adroitness. With refreshing clarity, Mitchell invites nonspecialists to share in these researchers adventures in recognizing and measuring complexity and then predicting its cascading effects. Concepts central to thermodynamics, information theory, and computer programming all come into focus in this foray into the recesses of complexity. Still, the analysis illuminates more than explanatory frameworks (such as network diagrams and genetic algorithms); piquant personalities (including Stephen Jay Gould andJohn von Neumann) also receive illuminating scrutiny. Though Mitchell acknowledges the doubts of skeptics, she still expresses hope that persistent complexity researchers will yet weld their disparate accomplishments into a coherent paradigm. Mind-expanding. --Bryce Christensen Review She captures the excitement of research. Ian D. Couzin, Science She writes in an unpretentious style with frequent entertaining and useful anecdotes. Iain D. Couzin. Science What enables individually simple insects like ants to act with such precision and purpose as a group? How do trillions of neurons produce something as extraordinarily complex as consciousness? In this remarkably clear and companionable book, leading complex systems scientist Melanie Mitchell provides an intimate tour of the sciences of complexity, a broad set of efforts that seek to explain how large-scale complex, organized, and adaptive behavior can emerge from simple interactions among myriad individuals. Based on her work at the Santa Fe Institute and drawing on its interdisciplinary strategies, Mitchell brings clarity to the workings of complexity across a broad range of biological, technological, and social phenomena, seeking out the general principles or laws that apply to all of them. Richly illustrated, __Complexity: A Guided Tour__--winner of the 2010 Phi Beta Kappa Book Award in Science--offers a wide-ranging overview of the ideas underlying complex systems science, the current research at the forefront of this field, and the prospects for its contribution to solving some of the most important scientific questions of our time. All theoretical models are wrong, but some are useful. Both inevitable error and promising usefulness abound in the bold conceptual models that Mitchell surveys in exploring the nascent science of complexity. Readers will marvel at the sheer range of settings in which complex systems operate: from ant hills to the stock market, from T cells to Web searches, from disease epidemics to power outages, complexity challenges theorists intellectual adroitness. With refreshing clarity, Mitchell invites nonspecialists to share in these researchers adventures in recognizing and measuring complexity and then predicting its cascading effects. Concepts central to thermodynamics, information theory, and computer programming all come into focus in this foray into the recesses of complexity. Still, the analysis illuminates more than explanatory frameworks (such as network diagrams and genetic algorithms); piquant personalities (including Stephen Jay Gould andJohn von Neumann) also receive illuminating scrutiny. Though Mitchell acknowledges the doubts of skeptics, she still expresses hope that persistent complexity researchers will yet weld their disparate accomplishments into a coherent paradigm. Mind-expanding. --Bryce Christensen She captures the excitement of research. Ian D. Couzin, Science She writes in an unpretentious style with frequent entertaining and useful anecdotes. Iain D. Couzin. Science What Enables Individually Simple Insects Like Ants To Act With Such Precision And Purpose As A Group? How Do Trillions Of Individual Neurons Produce Something As Extraordinarily Complex As Consciousness? What Is It That Guides Self-organizing Structures Like The Immune System, The World Wide Web, The Global Economy, And The Human Genome? These Are Just A Few Of The Fascinating And Elusive Questions That The Science Of Complexity Seeks To Answer. In This Remarkably Accessible And Companionable Book, Leading Complex Systems Scientist Melanie Mitchell Provides An Intimate, Detailed Tour Of The Sciences Of Complexity, A Broad Set Of Efforts That Seek To Explain How Large-scale Complex, Organized, And Adaptive Behavior Can Emerge From Simple Interactions Among Myriad Individuals. Comprehending Such Systems Requires A Wholly New Approach, One That Goes Beyond Traditional Scientific Reductionism And That Re-maps Long-standing Disciplinary Boundaries. Based On Her Work At The Santa Fe Institute And Drawing On Its Interdisciplinary Strategies, Mitchell Brings Clarity To The Workings Of Complexity Across A Broad Range Of Biological, Technological, And Social Phenomena, Seeking Out The General Principles Or Laws That Apply To All Of Them. She Explores As Well The Relationship Between Complexity And Evolution, Artificial Intelligence, Computation, Genetics, Information Processing, And Many Other Fields. Background And History. What Is Complexity? ; Dynamics, Chaos, And Prediction ; Information ; Computation ; Evolution ; Genetics, Simplified ; Defining And Measuring Complexity -- Life And Evolution In Computers. Self-reproducing Computer Programs ; Genetic Algorithms -- Computation Writ Large. Cellular Automata, Life, And The Universe ; Computing With Particles ; Information Processing In Living Systems ; How To Make Analogies (if You Are A Computer) ; Prospects Of Computer Modeling -- Network Thinking. The Science Of Networks ; Applying Network Science To Real-world Networks ; The Mystery Of Scaling ; Evolution, Complexified -- Conclusion. The Past And Future Of The Sciences Of Complexity. Melanie Mitchell. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [326]-336) And Index. From the inside of the cover jacket: WHAT ENABLES INDIVIDUALLY simple insects like ants to act with such precision and purpose as a group? How do trillions of individual neurons produce something as extraordinarily complex as consciousness? What is it that guides self-organizing structures like the immune system, the World Wide Web, the global economy, and the human genome? These are just a few of the fascinating and elusive questions that the science of complexity seeks to answer. In this remarkably accessible and companionable book, leading complex systems scientist Melanie Mitchell provides an intimate, detailed tour of the sciences of complexity, a broad set of efforts that seek to explain how large-scale complex, organized, and adaptive behavior can emerge from simple interactions among myriad individuals. Comprehending such systems requires a wholly new approach, one that goes beyond traditional scientific reductionism and that re-maps longstanding disciplinary boundaries. Based on her work at the Santa Fe Institute and drawing on its interdisciplinary strategies, Mitchell brings clarity to the workings of complexity across a broad range of biological, technological, and social phenomena, seeking out the general principles or laws that apply to all of them. She explores as well the relationship between complexity and evolution, artificial intelligence, computation, genetics, information processing, and many other fields. Richly illustrated and vividly written, *Complexity: A Guided Tour* offers a comprehensive and eminently comprehensible overview of the ideas underlying complex systems science, the current research at the forefront of this field, and the prospects for the field's contribution to solving some of the most important scientific questions of our time. Preface Acknowledgments Part I: Background and HistoryChapter 1: What is Complexity? Chapter 2: Dynamics, Chaos, and Prediction Chapter 3: Information Chapter 4: Computation Chapter 5: Evolution Chapter 6: Genetics, Simplified Chapter 7: Defining and Measuring Complexity Part II: Life and Evolution in ComputersChapter 8: Self-Reproducing Programs Chapter 9: Genetic Algorithms Part III: Computation Writ LargeChapter 10: Cellular Automata, Life, and the Universe Chapter 11: Computing with ParticlesChapter 12: Information Processing in Living Systems Chapter 13: How to Make Analogies (If You Are A Computer)Chapter 14: Prospects of Computer Modeling Part IV: Network ThinkingChapter 15: The Science of Networks Chapter 16: Applying Network Science to Real-World Networks Chapter 17: The Mystery of Scaling Chapter 18: Evolution, Complexified Part V: ConclusionChapter 19: The Past and Future of the Sciences of Complexity NotesBibliographyIndex " ... provides an intimate tour of the sciences of complexity, a broad set of efforts that seek to explain how large-scale complex, organized, and adaptive behavior can emerge from simple interactions among myriad individuals. Examining the workings of complexity across a broad range of biological, technological, and social phenomena, Complexity: A Guided Tour offers an overview of the current research at the forefront of this field and discusses prospects for its contribution to solving some of the most important scientific questions of our time"--Page 2 of cover This book provides an intimate, highly readable tour of the sciences of complexity, which seek to explain how large-scale complex, organized, and adaptive behavior can emerge from simple interactions among myriad individuals. The author, a leading complex systems scientist, describes the history of ideas, current research, and future prospects in this vital scientific effort. This text provides an intimate, highly readable tour of the sciences of complexity, which seek to explain how large-scale complex, organized, and adaptive behaviour can emerge from simple interactions among myriad individuals