Author: Stéphane Cordier Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing ISBN: 1527505219 Category : Mathematics Languages : en Pages : 405
Book Description
Since human activities are embedded in interactions, they are at the very center of the modeling of any form of social life, shaping societies, groups and interpersonal relationships. All theories of social, cognitive and cultural life are thus associated with explicit or tacit models of the nature of interactions and relations. This book proposes a multifaceted exploration of the complex nature of interactions, and of the modeling of complex interactional systems. It shows that all disciplines can be enriched by exploring alternative paradigms in the modeling of interactions, and that if discipline-bound studies tend to underestimate the multi-dimensional nature of interactions, ignoring it is not an option. It will be of great interest for anyone involved in disciplines such as economics, geography, linguistics, communication studies, education sciences and sociology, and in fields such as the study of networks, interactional systems, relations between agents, and mathematical and computational modeling.
Author: James Ladyman Publisher: Yale University Press ISBN: 0300251106 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 182
Book Description
A clear, concise introduction to the quickly growing field of complexity science that explains its conceptual and mathematical foundations What is a complex system? Although "complexity science" is used to understand phenomena as diverse as the behavior of honeybees, the economic markets, the human brain, and the climate, there is no agreement about its foundations. In this introduction for students, academics, and general readers, philosopher of science James Ladyman and physicist Karoline Wiesner develop an account of complexity that brings the different concepts and mathematical measures applied to complex systems into a single framework. They introduce the different features of complex systems, discuss different conceptions of complexity, and develop their own account. They explain why complexity science is so important in today's world.
Author: Paul Cilliers Publisher: Routledge ISBN: 1134743297 Category : Philosophy Languages : en Pages : 170
Book Description
In Complexity and Postmodernism, Paul Cilliers explores the idea of complexity in the light of contemporary perspectives from philosophy and science. Cilliers offers us a unique approach to understanding complexity and computational theory by integrating postmodern theory (like that of Derrida and Lyotard) into his discussion. Complexity and Postmodernism is an exciting and an original book that should be read by anyone interested in gaining a fresh understanding of complexity, postmodernism and connectionism.
Author: National Research Council Publisher: National Academies Press ISBN: 0309073421 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 203
Book Description
Physics at the beginning of the twenty-first century has reached new levels of accomplishment and impact in a society and nation that are changing rapidly. Accomplishments have led us into the information age and fueled broad technological and economic development. The pace of discovery is quickening and stronger links with other fields such as the biological sciences are being developed. The intellectual reach has never been greater, and the questions being asked are more ambitious than ever before. Physics in a New Era is the final report of the NRC's six-volume decadal physics survey. The book reviews the frontiers of physics research, examines the role of physics in our society, and makes recommendations designed to strengthen physics and its ability to serve important needs such as national security, the economy, information technology, and education.
Author: Dan Braha Publisher: Springer ISBN: 3540328343 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 396
Book Description
This book sheds light on the large-scale engineering systems that shape and guide our everyday lives. It does this by bringing together the latest research and practice defining the emerging field of Complex Engineered Systems. Understanding, designing, building and controlling such complex systems is going to be a central challenge for engineers in the coming decades. This book is a step toward addressing that challenge.
Author: John H. Miller Publisher: Basic Books ISBN: 0465073867 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 268
Book Description
A top expert explains why a social and economic understanding of complex systems will help society to anticipate and confront our biggest challenges Imagine trying to understand a stained glass window by breaking it into pieces and examining it one shard at a time. While you could probably learn a lot about each piece, you would have no idea about what the entire picture looks like. This is reductionism -- the idea that to understand the world we only need to study its pieces -- and it is how most social scientists approach their work. In A Crude Look at the Whole, social scientist and economist John H. Miller shows why we need to start looking at whole pictures. For one thing, whether we are talking about stock markets, computer networks, or biological organisms, individual parts only make sense when we remember that they are part of larger wholes. And perhaps more importantly, those wholes can take on behaviors that are strikingly different from that of their pieces. Miller, a leading expert in the computational study of complex adaptive systems, reveals astounding global patterns linking the organization of otherwise radically different structures: It might seem crude, but a beehive's temperature control system can help predict market fluctuations and a mammal's heartbeat can help us understand the "heartbeat" of a city and adapt urban planning accordingly. From enduring racial segregation to sudden stock market disasters, once we start drawing links between complex systems, we can start solving what otherwise might be totally intractable problems. Thanks to this revolutionary perspective, we can finally transcend the limits of reductionism and discover crucial new ideas. Scientifically founded and beautifully written, A Crude Look at the Whole is a powerful exploration of the challenges that we face as a society. As it reveals, taking the crude look might be the only way to truly see.
Author: Ciza Thomas Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand ISBN: 9535128418 Category : Technology & Engineering Languages : en Pages : 128
Book Description
The book on complex systems, sustainability, and innovation explores a broad set of ideas and presents some of the state-of-the-art research in this field concisely in six chapters. In a complex system, it is difficult to know exactly how the individual components contribute to an observed behavior and the extent of each component's contributions. It is the interactions of the individual components that determine the emergent functionalities. This makes it difficult to understand and predict the behavior of complex systems and hence the effects of any innovations in this field. This necessitates for the emergence of a new age of innovations with the main focus on user orientation and sustainability. This book explores some of the complex systems and their dependence on the environment to provide a long-term perspective, aiding innovations and supporting a sustainable society. The intended audience of this book will mainly consist of researchers, research students, and practitioners in the field of complex systems and sustainability.
Author: Yaneer Bar-yam Publisher: CRC Press ISBN: 0429717598 Category : Mathematics Languages : en Pages : 866
Book Description
This book aims to develop models and modeling techniques that are useful when applied to all complex systems. It adopts both analytic tools and computer simulation. The book is intended for students and researchers with a variety of backgrounds.
Author: Stefan Thurner Publisher: ISBN: 9780191861062 Category : Social sciences Languages : en Pages : 431
Book Description
Complex systems are everywhere. Ecosystems, financial markets, traffic, the economy, the internet and social media are complex systems. This textbook summarizes our understanding of complex systems and the methodological progress made over the past 20 years in a clear, structured, and comprehensive way.
Author: Stéphane Cordier
Author: James Ladyman
Author: L. Douglas Kiel
Author: Paul Cilliers
Author: National Research Council
Author: Dan Braha
Author: John H. Miller
Author: Ciza Thomas
Author: Yaneer Bar-yam
Author: Stefan Thurner