ArticlePDF Available

Dynamics of Complex Systems (Studies in Nonlinearity)

Authors:
Yaneer Bar-Yam at New England Complex Systems Institute
Yaneer Bar-Yam
Susan R. McKay
Susan R. McKay
Susan R. McKay
  • This person is not on ResearchGate, or hasn't claimed this research yet.
Wolfgang Christian at Davidson College
Wolfgang Christian
Download full-text PDF
Read full-text
Download citation
Content uploaded by Wolfgang Christian
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Wolfgang Christian on Sep 22, 2016
Content may be subject to copyright.
Computers in Physics
Dynamics of Complex Systems (Studies in Nonlinearity)
Yaneer Bar-Yam, Susan R. McKay, and Wolfgang Christian
Citation: Computers in Physics 12, 335 (1998); doi: 10.1063/1.4822633
View online: http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4822633
View Table of Contents: http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/journal/cip/12/4?ver=pdfcov
Published by the AIP Publishing
Articles you may be interested in
Preface: International Conference on Complex Processes in Plasmas and Nonlinear Dynamical Systems
AIP Conf. Proc. 1582, 1 (2014); 10.1063/1.4865340
Nonlinear Dynamics and Geometry of Collective Motions of Complex Molecular Systems
AIP Conf. Proc. 1281, 1571 (2010); 10.1063/1.3498109
Overview of nonlinear dynamical systems and complexity theory
AIP Conf. Proc. 376, 1 (1996); 10.1063/1.51056
Modeling of complex biological systems. I. Molecular dynamics studies of diglyceride monolayers
J. Chem. Phys. 100, 5996 (1994); 10.1063/1.467110
Neutron scattering studies of the spin dynamics in nonlinear and Haldane systems (invited)
J. Appl. Phys. 67, 5593 (1990); 10.1063/1.345895
Reuse of AIP Publishing content is subject to the terms at: https://publishing.aip.org/authors/rights-and-permissions. Download to IP: 173.234.227.16 On: Thu, 22 Sep
2016 14:18:52
~<OOOK
REVIEWS
BOOK
REVIEWS:
Dynamics
of
Complex
Systems
(Studies
in
Nonlinearity)
Variational
Principles
and
the
Numerical
Solution
of
Scattering
Problems
Dynam.
ics
of
Complex
Systems
(Studies
in
Nonlinearity)
Yaneer Bar-Yam
Addison-Wesley, New York, 1997;
ISBN0-201-55748-7; 800pp.,cloth,
$56.00.
Reviewed
by
Susan
R
McKay
The study
of
complex systems has
expanded dramatically throughout
the last decade and now involves re-
searchers from many disciplines, in-
cluding physics, biology, economics,
engineering, mathematics, and psychol-
ogy. Many educators would find it a
challenging task to teach a multidisci-
plinary course on complex systems
that would be appropriate for students
in all these disciplines. Yaneer Bar-
Yam's
Dynamics a/Complex Systems,
an outgrowth
of
a graduate course that
he has taught, provides the basis for
such a course.
Department
Editors:
Susan
R.
McKay
rps352@maine.maine.edu
Wolfgang
Christian
wochristian@davidson.edu
Bar-Yam avoids speaking only in
generalities by focusing on four topics
that exemplify complexity: neural net-
works, protein folding, evolutionaryand
developmental biology, and human civi-
lization. Two chapters are included on
each ofthese topics. The first
ofthe
two
defines basic models and emphasizes
analytical techniques, whereas the sec-
ond usually focuses more on simula-
tions and their results.
These eight chapters are preceded
by an extensive (almost 280-page!) in-
troductory chapter. The subjects
of
the
subsections in this
chapter-"Thermo-
dynamics and Statistical Mechanics,"
"Computer Simulations," and "Cellular
Automata"
--could
constitute coursesin
themselves. What Bar-Yam has done,
very successfully, is to present essential
background material for the study
of
complex systems in a variety
of
areas
of
physics, mathematics, and computer
science. All any two subsections may
have in common is that they are neces-
sary to set the stage for the discussion in
later chapters.
Most
of
the introductory material
will be familiar to any physics student
who has had courses in statistical me-
chanics and dynamical systems; in this
case the first chapter
of
the book will
serve as a useful review and reference.
Even for those who are acquainted with
these topics, the introductory section is
worth reading because it is well illus-
trated and written in an unusually clear
style. Coverage
of
material is complete,
but the tone is informal; the author in-
terrupts his exposition to pose questions.
and provide their solutions. These inter-
spersed questions and answers make the
book particularly well suited for inde-
pendent study, although some readers
may miss the end-of-chapter problems
that are found in most physics texts.
Bar-Yam suggests teaching this course
with project assignments rather than tra-
ditional problem sets
in
order to accom-
modate students with different back-
grounds.
For those from disciplines other
than physics, the introduction may con-
tain much new material that requires
serious study. Bar-Yam has made an ef-
fort to define terminology as it is intro-
duced, so that the introductory chapter
is readable for those without previous
experience. The presentation is self-
contained and conveniently collects ex-
cellent
background
information for
those who want to continue in the field
of
complex systems.
Bar-Yamacknowledges in his over-
view
of
the book that presenting the
extensive introductory material could
easily take a full semester even if the
instructor moves quickly through the
topics. In order to get to the complex
systems themselves within a one-se-
mester course, the instructor might fol-
Iowan
alternative syllabus proposed in
Bar-Yam's overview, which begins with
neural networks (Chap. 2) and draws on
material from the introductory chapter
as needed. For this type
of
course, the
Susan
McKay
is
associate
professor
of
physics
at
the
University
of
Maine
and
one
ofelp 's
department
editors
for
Book
Reviews.
Her
research
interests
include
the
properties
of
spin
glasses
and
other
systems
with
quenched
disorder,
pattern
formation,
and
phase
transitions
in
systems
far
from
equilibrium.
c
1998
AMERICAN
INSTITUTE
OF
PHYSICS
S0894-1866(98)00204-1
COMPUTERS
IN
PHYSICS,
VOL.
12,
NO.4,
JULIAUG
1998
335
Reuse of AIP Publishing content is subject to the terms at: https://publishing.aip.org/authors/rights-and-permissions. Download to IP: 173.234.227.16 On: Thu, 22 Sep
2016 14:18:52
book offers two advantages:
(l)
It
con-
tains almost 300 pages
of
background
material on complex systems, written
clearly and in terms that students from a
variety
of
disciplines can understand;
and (2) it provides detailed treatments
of
four different types
of
complex systems,
including discussions
of
basic models
and important analytical and numerical
results. The book closes with an l l-page
section
of
additional readings arranged
by chapter, which includes both key
words (as provided by the Library
of
Congress for literature searches) and
specific references.
Overall, this book fills a unique
niche in the complex-systems literature
by offering a unifiedpicture
of
the entire
field while providing a carefully chosen
collection
of
technical information and
insights.
It
can serve well either as a
primary text or as a reference for stu-
dents and researchers. Those who work
on any complex system would benefit
from reading the discussions
of
other
systems here in order to gain a fresh
perspective and to put their own system
in a broader context. •
Variational
Principles
and
the
Numerical
Sofution
of
Scattering
Problems
Sadhan K. Adhikari
John Wiley &Sons,New York, 1998;
ISBN 0-471-18193-5;323 pp., cloth,
$84.95.
Reviewed
by
Roger
G.
Newton·
Many
of
today's
physics experi-
ments are, in one way or another,
based on the scattering
of
particles.
Scattering plays a role in elastic or in-
elastic collisions, reactions, and rear-
rangements, as well as in captures
of
elementary particles, nuclei, atoms,
molecules, and quasiparticles. We .ob-
tain most
of
the information we have
about the forces and properties
of
parti-
des
at the microscopic level through
particle-scattering experiments.
Theoretical predictions
of
scatter-
Roger
Newton
is
Distinguished
Professor
Emeritus
of
Physics
at
Indiana
University,
Bloomington,
IN
47405.
E-mail:
newton@indiana.edu
Books
Received
B
ioinformatic
s:
TheMachine
Learning
App
ro
ach
Pierre Baldi
and
Sore
n Bru
nak
MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1998;
ISB 0-262-02442-X;351pp.,cloth,
540.00.
Fiel
ds
of
Ph
y
sics
by
Finite
ElementAna
ly
sis
Gu
nnar
Backst rom
Studcntlittcratur,Lund, Sweden, 1998;
ISB : 91-44-00655-1; 208 pp., paper,
326SEK.
i
Warp:
Anatomyof a
Parallel
Comp
ut
ing
System
Thomas
Gross
and David
O'Ha llaron
MIT Pre , Cambridge, MA, 1998;
ISB 0-262-07183-5; 488 pp., cloth.,
$45.00.
Comple
xit
y:
H
ierarchical
St
ru
ctures
and
Scaling
in
P
hys
ics
Remo
Badii and Antonio Politi
Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, England, 1997; ISB
0-521-4
1890-9;
332 pp., cloth, $74.95.
ing cross sections and resonances are
always ultimately based on an underly-
ing differential
equation-more
often
than not, the Schrodinger equation. One
of
the tasks
of
scattering theory is to
establish the mathematical tools neces-
sary for the extraction
of
numerical re-
sults for comparison with experiment. '
Since a scattering experiment in effect
compares the outcome
of
a collision be-
tween particles with a situation in which
the collision partners have not inter-
acted-the
initial
conditions
being
specified and the outcome observed at
macroscopic
distances-these
mathe-
matical procedures are not entirely
straightforward. Understanding their
use requires a certain amount
of
expla-
nation and care.
The first chapter
of
Adhikari 'sbook
is devoted to explaining the theory
of
quantum-mechanical scattering and in-
Lattice-Gas
Cellular
Automata:
Simple
Models
of
Complex
H
ydrodynamics
Daniel H. R
othm
an
and
Ste
p
hanc
Za
lesk i
Cambridge University Pre ,
Cambridge,England, 1997; ISB
0-521-5520 I-X; 304 pp., cloth,
$69.95.
Solving
Problems
in
Scientific
Computing
UsingMaple
and
MA
T
LA
B,
Third
Edition
Wa lter Gander and Jiri
Hre
bicek
Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Ileidelberg,
and ew York, 1997; ISB
3-540-61793-0; 408 pp., paper,
$49.95.
The
Beginner
's
Guide
to
MathematicaVersion3
Jerry
Glynn and T
heodore
Gray
Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, England, 1997; I B
0-521-62734-6;347 pp., paper,
$24.95. (Also available in cloth, ISB
0-521-62202-6, $64.95.)
traducing the canonical
tools-the
S
matrix, the tmatrix, the Kmatrix, and
phase
shifts-for
the various cases
of
interest. There is also a discussion
of
the
most commonly used integral equation,
the
Lippmann-Schwinger
equation,
along
with
other integral equations
needed for reactions involving more
than two particles. Later chapters are
devoted to the discussion
of
numerical
methods for the solution
of
these equa-
tions, which can almost never be solved
exactly. These chapters also cover the
main focus
of
the book, namely the sev-
eral specific variational principles that
are useful for the calculation
of
results
to be compared with experiments.
Because every numerical calcula-
tion is ultimately somewhat inexact, ef-
ficient methods for the construction
of
reliable approximations are
of
particular
practical importance. Variational princi-
336
COMPUTERS
IN
PHYSICS,
VOL.
12,NO.4,
JULIAUG
1998
Reuse of AIP Publishing content is subject to the terms at: https://publishing.aip.org/authors/rights-and-permissions. Download to IP: 173.234.227.16 On: Thu, 22 Sep
2016 14:18:52
... It harnesses a spectrum of tools to evaluate the network's density, indicating the overall linkage among nodes, and its robustness against interventions and disruptions (Barabási, 2016), as it possesses the capability to reorganize itself (Duijn et al., 2014;D'Orsogna and Perc, 2015). The dynamics within networks, whether human or inanimate entities, and their nonlinear structural evolution under specific conditions render the system highly unpredictable, and challenging to control (Bar-Yam et al., 1998). ...
... The goal of network analysis is to grasp the properties of these systems, the collaborative behavior of interconnected components, and the implications of behavior on a macro scale. This understanding is crucial to prevent misinterpretation of the causes of phenomena (Bar-Yam et al., 1998;Gershenson et al., 2020), significantly impacting strategies developed to intervene in these networks, whether in a controlled laboratory setting or real-life intelligence operations. ...
Network analysis in peace and state building: revealing power elites
Article
Full-text available
  • Apr 2024
This paper examines the potential role of network analysis in understanding the powerful elites that pose a significant threat to peace and state-building within post-conflict contexts. This paper makes a threefold contribution. First, it identifies a caveat in the scholarship surrounding international interventions, shedding light on shortcomings in their design and implementation strategies, and elucidating the influence these elites wield in the political and economic realms. Next, it delineates the essentials of the network analysis approach, addressing the information and data requirements and limitations inherent in its application in conflict environments. Finally, the paper provides valuable insights gleaned from the international operation in Guatemala known as the International Commission for Impunity in Guatemala, which specifically targeted illicit networks. The argument asserts that network analysis functions as a dual-purpose tool—serving as both a descriptive instrument to reveal, identify, and address the root causes of conflict and a predictive tool to enhance peace agreement implementation and improve decision-making. Simultaneously, it underscores the challenge of data analysis and translating network interventions into tangible real-life consequences for long-lasting results.
View
... Leaving aside his fourth category, Chaotic, as too hard for the moment, this paper focusses on the third category, Complex systems. Yaneer Bar-Yam [1998] defined "complex systems" as systems that "have multiple interacting components, whose collective behaviour cannot be simply inferred from the behaviour of components." So, the traditional system modelling approach of decomposition into components and attempting to build up a picture of system performance from individual pieces, alone, is no longer appropriate for this class. ...
... So, the credibility of the safety cases made to justify the acceptable operation of these systems, depends on the confidence we have in the ability of external "barriers" to address events, which we know can be emergent and unexpected in complex systems in the real world. 4 There is thus a question mark over the ability of the current approaches to credibly and responsibly assure the safety of complex systems. Detailed knowledge of the pieces, components and subsystems is a crucial prerequisite, but is it enough without an understanding of how the whole system will react? ...
Complex Systems Modelling: A Systematic, Quantitative Systems Engineering Approach
Preprint
Full-text available
  • Jan 2024
In an increasingly complex world there is a real, urgent need for methodologies to enable engineers to model complex sociotechnical systems, as these now seem to describe the majority of systems in use today. This is of course exacerbated by the increasing involvement and augmentation with “black box” AI contributions. Hollnagel produced a methodology, (FRAM) which did allow the analyst insights into these systems’ behaviour, but the model-based system engineering applications demand numbers and a quantitative approach. In the last 10 years, this original approach developed to model systems as sets of interactive, interdependent “functions”, (abstracted from agent or component details), has been further developed to the point where it can take the basic data and structures from the current component focussed system engineering “models”, and can pull it all together into dynamic models, (as opposed to static, fixed System Theoretic Process Accimaps), from which analysts can discern how they really work in practice, and predict the emergent behaviours characteristic of complex systems. This paper describes how the FRAM methodology has now been extended to provide these extra, essential attributes. It also describes its implementation using an open-source software, freely available for use and verification on the GitHub site.
View
... In the last decades the interest towards interacting systems has been growing in the scientific community, due to the studies regarding complex systems [1]. This interest is referred to systems composed of agents, also called particles, such that their interactions follow stochastic rules. ...
... In order to consider such external actions, an external force term is introduced in the conservative kinetic framework (1). Specifically, the external force field is modeled by a function ...
View
... Several fields are involved, such as complexity (Bar-Yam, 1997;Mitchell, 2009), natural computing (Castro, 2006, evolutionary computation (Baeck et al., 1997;Coello et al., 2007), language evolution (Christiansen and Kirby, 2003;Cangelosi and Parisi, 2002), theoretical biology (Waddington, 1968), evolutionary biology (Smith et al., 1995), philosophy (Boden, 1996), cognitive science (Clark, 1997;Bedau, 2003;Couzin, 2009), robotics (Mataric andCliff, 1996), artificial intelligence (Steels and Brooks, 1995), behavior-based systems (Maes, 1993;Webb, 2000), game theory (Sigmund, 1993), network theory (Newman, 2003;Newman et al., 2006), and synthetic biology (Benner and Sismour, 2005) among others. ...
The emergence of dynamic networks from many coupled polar oscillators: a paradigm for artificial life
Article
Full-text available
  • Jul 2023
  • THEOR BIOSCI
This work concerns a many-body deterministic model that displays life-like properties such as emergence, complexity, self-organization, self-regulation, excitability and spontaneous compartmentalization. The model portraits the dynamics of an ensemble of locally coupled polar phase oscillators, moving in a two-dimensional space, that under certain conditions exhibit emergent superstructures. Those superstructures are self-organized dynamic networks, resulting from a synchronization process of many units, over length scales much greater than the interaction range. Such networks compartmentalize the two-dimensional space with no a priori constraints, due to the formation of porous transport walls, and represent a highly complex and novel non-linear behavior. The analysis is numerically carried out as a function of a control parameter showing distinct regimes: static pattern formation, dynamic excitable networks formation, intermittency and chaos. A statistical analysis is drawn to determine the control parameter ranges for the various behaviors to appear. The model and the results shown in this work are expected to contribute to the field of artificial life.
View
... Thereby, considering this diversity of systems, it may seem strange to study them all under one framework. But while most scientific disciplines tend to focus on the components themselves, complex systems science focuses on how the components within a system are related to one another (Bar-Yam et al., 1998. As mentioned above, the nature of a complex system inherently related to its parts. ...
Contribution to network analysis: dead zones, amplification and optimal control.
Thesis
Full-text available
  • Jul 2023
The main objective of this thesis is the investigation and the control of the dynamics of networks. The resolution of this problem required three key concepts that we have adopted: the dead zone, amplification and optimal control. Due to its numerous applications in telecommunication as well as in human relations, the concept of dead zone could be a better way to model the coupling between two or more systems. For example, in systems using the magnetic field for the coupling, the magnetic field may vary with the distance between systems, thus making the coupling between these systems intermittent. The studies carried out in this thesis show that this dead zone not only improves the transition to synchronization in the case of two coupled systems, but can also allow the transition from one behaviour to another (chimera states, multi-chimera states, clusters, synchronization). An implementation in Pspice using electronic components allowed us to design a circuit modeling this dead zone and thus showed the feasibility of the synchronization obtained by the numerical resolution in MATLAB. The existence of synchronization in certain devices such as gear systems, pulley-belt systems improves efficiency. The improvement of the speed in these devices is done through the transmission ratio considered as the amplification coefficient in this work. Thus, the concept of amplification is a key concept that is highly sought-after in many electronic, mechanical and even electrical systems. Obtaining this amplification in linear systems is more obvious. However, most real systems are non-linear and therefore, to highlight this amplification becomes a titanic task. In this work, the study of the influence of amplification in the case of two similar coupled systems shows that it is possible to switch from phase-flip to phase synchronisation or phase-lock. In the case of networks, this amplification also makes it possible to switch from desynchronization to synchronization via clusters, splays etc. The stability of synchronization can be accessed via the master stability function. This convenient tool allows for treating the node dynamics and the network topology in two separated steps, and, thus, allows for a quite general treatment of different network topologies. In this thesis, the network formed by the Rössler systems used gave us a type III MSF allowing us to highlight a synchronization zone and two desynchronization zones. Later, the application of the Hamilton-Bellman-Jacobi method enabled us to manufacture an optimal controller that minimizes the transition time to a precise state based on the cost administered. Thus, the resulting controller allowed us to achieve synchronization with minimal time.
View
... Several fields are involved, such as complexity (Bar-Yam, 1997;Mitchell, 2009), natural computing (Castro, 2006, evolutionary computation (Baeck et al., 1997;Coello et al., 2007), language evolution (Christiansen and Kirby, 2003;Cangelosi and Parisi, 2002), theoretical biology (Waddington, 1968), evolutionary biology (Smith et al., 1995), philosophy (Boden, 1996), cognitive science (Clark, 1997;Bedau, 2003;Couzin, 2009), robotics (Mataric andCliff, 1996), artificial intelligence (Steels and Brooks, 1995), behavior-based systems (Maes, 1993;Webb, 2000), game theory (Sigmund, 1993), network theory (Newman, 2003;Newman et al., 2006), and synthetic biology (Benner and Sismour, 2005) among others. ...
The emergence of dynamic networks from many coupled polar oscillators. A model for Artificial Life (published in Theory in Biosciences - July 2023)
Preprint
Full-text available
  • Jul 2023
This work concerns a many-body deterministic model that displays life-like properties as emergence, complexity, self-organization, spontaneous compartmentalization, and self-regulation. The model portraits the dynamics of an ensemble of locally coupled polar phase oscillators, moving in a two-dimensional space, that in certain conditions exhibit emergent superstructures. Those superstructures are self-organized dynamic networks, resulting from a synchronization process of many units, over length scales much greater than the interaction length. Such networks compartmentalize the two-dimensional space with no a priori constraints, due to the formation of porous transport walls, and represent a highly complex and novel non-linear behavior. The analysis is numerically carried out as a function of a control parameter showing distinct regimes: static, stable dynamic networks, intermittency, and chaos. A statistical analysis is drawn to determine the control parameter ranges for the various behaviors to appear.
View
On the Detection of Significant Pairwise Interactions in Complex Systems
Chapter
  • Mar 2024
Many systems in nature, society and technology are complex systems, i.e., they are composed of numerous parts that interact in a non-linear way giving rise to positive and negative feedback. The dynamic organization of these systems often allows the emergence of intermediate structures that once formed profoundly influence the system and therefore play a key role in understanding its behavior. In the recent past our group has devised an effective method for identifying groups of interacting variables within a system, based on their observation. The result is a set of entities, each of which connects two or more nodes of the system: this result can therefore be represented by a hypergraph, which can be of considerable use for understanding the system under consideration. In particular, we use an index that allows us to evaluate the level of integration of a group of variables. In order for a group to be identified as significant, the value of this index must exceed a threshold that corresponds (under appropriate hypotheses) to a level of statistical significance decided by the user. In this work we propose a more elaborate approach to determining the significance threshold, which is (i) in itself theoretically interesting and (ii) of considerable practical utility. We use the new approach to determine collections of pairwise relationships in meaningful cases, such as relationships in gene regulatory networks.
View
K-12 Beceriler Çerçevesi: Türkiye Bütüncül Modeli Üzerine Bir Çalışma
Article
  • Nov 2023
Beceri konusu üzerinde kavramsal ve kuramsal boyutta farklı görüşlerin oluştuğu karmaşık bir yapıdır. Farklı tanımlar ve yaklaşımlarla ülkelerin eğitim sistemlerine entegre etmeye çaba göstermeleri, ulusal ve uluslararası sınavlarda beceri ölçümü konusuna yapılan vurgu ve bilgi miktarının günden güne artması beceri konusunda çerçeve bir model oluşturulmasını gerekli kılmıştır. Bu çalışmada, bütüncül bir yaklaşımla, beceri kavramına kuramsal bir yaklaşım getirilmiş olup hem sınıf içi uygulamalara -ders kitapları ve ölçme değerlendirme süreçleri ile- hem de öğretmen eğitimine yönelik önerilerde bulunulmuştur. Önerilen modelde kavramsal beceriler, alan becerileri, sosyal-duygusal öğrenme becerileri ve okuryazarlık becerileri hem kendi içlerinde hem de birbirleri ile olan etkileşimleri boyutlarında tanımlanmıştır. Ayrıca, her beceri kümesinde benzer kavramların farklı alanlarda kullanımının benzerlikleri ve farklılıklarına da vurgu yapılmış olup, işlem süreçleri farklılık gösteren eylemler için uygun beceri adlandırmaları yapılmıştır. Önerilen modelde süreç bileşenleri, alan uzmanları, Milli Eğitim uzmanları ve farklı branşlardan öğretmenlerin katılımı ile analiz edilerek, uzman görüşüne dayalı olarak oluşturulmuştur. Çalışmanın öğrenciler boyutunda yansımaları konusunda hem yapı geçerliği hem de gelişimsel ilerlemeye katkı boyutlarında program geliştirme uzmanlarına, araştırmacılara ve uygulayıcılara yönelik öneriler sunulmuştur.
View
Selected Topics of Social Physics: Equilibrium Systems
Article
Full-text available
  • Jun 2023
The paper gives an introduction to the physics approach to social systems providing the main definitions and notions used in the modeling of these systems. The behavior of social systems is illustrated by several quite simple, typical models. The present part considers equilibrium systems. Nonequilibrium systems will be presented in the second part of the review. The style of the paper combines the features of a tutorial and a survey, which, from one side, makes it simpler to read for nonspecialists aiming to grasp the basics of social physics, and from the other side, describes several rather recent original models containing new ideas that could be of interest to experienced researchers in the field. The selection of the material is limited and motivated by the author’s research interests.
View
From Emergency to Emergence. Learning to inhabit complexity and to expect the unexpected
Article
  • Feb 2023
Our hypertechnological civilization, obsessed with attempting to control and predict every event and every aspect of our lives, has not yet understood that emergency is a connotative element of complexity and of the complex systems that we call "life". This means that emer-gency, like error, is an intrinsic part of our lives and can never be predicted, prevented or managed, much less eliminated. Seeking solutions by delegating carte blanche to technology, stak-ing all on know-how, speed and simulation, is the "great mistake" of today's digitalized society and of its educational institutions. In dealing with emergency, rather than rationalizing our inadequacies and those of our authorities and experts by using the age-old metaphor "black swan" (Taleb, 2007; 2012), students and teachers alike need to be empowered to inhabit complexity, to expect unpredictability, and to tackle emergency through creativity and self-organization, in order to be able to fully comprehend how emergency can become emergence.
View
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any references for this publication.