This document provides an overview of complex systems and the core disciplines used to study them, including dynamics, information, computation, and evolution/learning. It discusses how simple interacting elements can produce emergent and complex collective behavior through following simple rules. The goals of studying complex systems are to integrate these topics and use idealized models to better understand how complex patterns and behaviors can arise from simple systems and rules.
This document provides an overview of complex systems and the core disciplines used to study them, including dynamics, information, computation, and evolution/learning. It discusses how simple interacting elements can produce emergent and complex collective behavior through following simple rules. The goals of studying complex systems are to integrate these topics and use idealized models to better understand how complex patterns and behaviors can arise from simple systems and rules.
This document provides an overview of complex systems and the core disciplines used to study them, including dynamics, information, computation, and evolution/learning. It discusses how simple interacting elements can produce emergent and complex collective behavior through following simple rules. The goals of studying complex systems are to integrate these topics and use idealized models to better understand how complex patterns and behaviors can arise from simple systems and rules.
What are Complex Systems? Core Disciplines of the Sciences of Complexity Dynamics: The study of continually changing structure and behavior of systems
Information: The study of representation, symbols, and communication
Computation: The study of how systems process information and act on the results
Evolution / Learning: The study of how systems adapt to constantly changing environments Goals of this course:
To give you a sense of how these topics are integrated in the study of complex systems To give you a sense of how idealized models can be used to study these topics What did we cover?
Lets review... Dynamics and Chaos Provides a vocabulary for describing how complex systems change over time Fixed points, periodic attractors, chaos, sensitive dependence on initial conditions Shows how complex behavior can arise from iteration of simple rules Characterizes complexity in terms of dynamics Shows contrast between intrinsic unpredictability and universal properties Fractals Provides geometry of real-world patterns Shows how complex patterns can arise from iteration of simple rules Characterizes complexity in terms of fractal dimension Information Theory Makes analogy between information and physical entropy Characterizes complexity in terms of information content Genetic Algorithms Provides idealized models of evolution and adaptation Demonstrates how complex behavior/shape can emerge from simple rules (of evolution) Cellular Automata Idealized models of complex systems Shows how complex patterns can emerge from iterating simple rules Characterizes complexity in terms of class of patterns Models of Self-Organization Idealized models of self-organizing behavior Attempt to find common principles in terms of dynamics, information, computation, and adaptation Firefly synchronization Flocking / Schooling Ant Foraging Ant Task Allocation
Immune System
Cellular Metabolism,
Models of Cooperation Idealized model of how self-organized cooperation can emerge in social systems Demonstrates how idealized models can be used to study complex phenomena Prisoners dilemma El Farol Problem Networks Vocabulary for describing structure and dynamics of real-world networks small-world, scale-free, degree distribution, clustering, path-length Shows how real-world network structure can be captured by simple models (e.g., preferential attachment)
Scaling Gives clues to underlying structure and dynamics of complex systems (e.g., fractal distribution networks)
Goals of the Science of Complexity Cross-disciplinary insights into complex systems General theory?
" Can we develop a general theory of complex systems?
That is, a mathematical language that unifies dynamics, information processing, and evolution in complex systems ?
I.e., a calculus of complexity ?
Isaac Newton, 16431727 infinitesimal limit derivative integral He was hampered by the chaos of language words still vaguely defined and words not quite existing. . . . Newton believed he could marshal a complete science of motion, if only he could find the appropriate lexicon. . . . ! James Gleick, Isaac Newton emergence self-organization network adaptation Complex Systems, c. 2013 attractor criticality information computation bifurcation nonlinearity equilibrium entropy fractal chaos ! ! ! ! ! ! renormalization randomness scaling power law I do not give a fig for the simplicity on this side of complexity, but I would give my life for the simplicity on the other side of complexity. ! O. W. Holmes (attr.)