Complexity Science

An up-to-date and critical analysis of how archaeologists study past societies, Archaeologies of Complexity addresses the nature of contemporary archaeology and the study of social change, and debates

Orsucci (Institute for Complexity Studies, Rome) recounts his journey seeking a general theory of mind and its applications, as it led him through cognitive science, philosophy, medicine, psychiatry,

Although much recent social science and humanities work has been a revolt against simplification, this volume explores the contrast between simplicity and complexity to reveal that this dichotomy, its

Although much recent social science and humanities work has been a revolt against simplification, this volume explores the contrast between simplicity and complexity to reveal that this dichotomy, its

The discrepancy method is the glue that binds randomness and complexity. It is the bridge between randomized computation and discrepancy theory, the area of mathematics concerned with irregularities in distributions. The discrepancy method has played a major role in complexity theory; in particular, it has caused a mini-revolution of sorts in computational geometry. This book tells the story of the discrepancy method in a few short independent vignettes. It is a varied tale which includes such topics as communication complexity, pseudo-randomness, rapidly mixing Markov chains, points on the sphere and modular forms, derandomization, convex hulls, Voronoi diagrams, linear programming and extensions, geometric sampling, VC-dimension theory, minimum spanning trees, linear circuit complexity, and multidimensional searching. The mathematical treatment is thorough and self-contained. In particular, background material in discrepancy theory is supplied as needed. Thus the book should appeal t

Here is an accessible, algorithmically oriented guide to some of the most interesting techniques of complexity theory. The book shows that simple algorithms are at the heart of complexity theory. The

Automata and natural language theory are topics lying at the heart of computer science. Both are linked to computational complexity and together, these disciplines help define the parameters of what c

A groundbreaking look at complexity theory and its implications in the world of finance Complexity theory tells us that processes with a large number of seemingly independent agents-such as free marke

The discrepancy method is the glue that binds randomness and complexity. It is the bridge between randomized computation and discrepancy theory, the area of mathematics concerned with irregularities in distributions. The discrepancy method has played a major role in complexity theory; in particular, it has caused a mini-revolution of sorts in computational geometry. This book tells the story of the discrepancy method in a few short independent vignettes. It is a varied tale which includes such topics as communication complexity, pseudo-randomness, rapidly mixing Markov chains, points on the sphere and modular forms, derandomization, convex hulls, Voronoi diagrams, linear programming and extensions, geometric sampling, VC-dimension theory, minimum spanning trees, linear circuit complexity, and multidimensional searching. The mathematical treatment is thorough and self-contained. In particular, background material in discrepancy theory is supplied as needed. Thus the book should appeal t

Reductionism’s approach brings together many of the most interesting questions today in philosophy (consciousnessand computers) and in science (issues of complexity and self-organization). It also pre

Shows how an appreciation of the full complexity of the context of reproduction actually simplifies and clarifies our understanding of reproductive behavior.Historically, reproductive science has focu

This is a comprehensive discussion of complexity as it arises in physical, chemical, and biological systems, as well as in mathematical models of nature. Common features of these apparently unrelated fields are emphasised and incorporated into a uniform mathematical description, with the support of a large number of detailed examples and illustrations. The quantitative study of complexity is a rapidly developing subject with special impact in the fields of physics, mathematics, information science, and biology. Because of the variety of the approaches, no comprehensive discussion has previously been attempted. This book will be of interest to graduate students and researchers in physics (nonlinear dynamics, fluid dynamics, solid-state, cellular automata, stochastic processes, statistical mechanics and thermodynamics), mathematics (dynamical systems, ergodic and probability theory), information and computer science (coding, information theory and algorithmic complexity), electrical engi

This advanced handbook presents a broad and up-to-date view of the computational complexity theory of Boolean circuits. It combines the algorithmic and the automata-theoretic approaches, and includes

An advanced textbook giving a broad, modern view of the computational complexity theory of boolean circuits, with extensive references, for theoretical computer scientists and mathematicians.

An approach to complexity theory which offers a means of analysing algorithms in terms of their tractability. The authors consider the problem in terms of parameterized languages and taking "k-slices"

In this volume, which was originally published in 1996, noisy information is studied in the context of computational complexity; in other words the text deals with the computational complexity of mathematical problems for which information is partial, noisy and priced. The author develops a general theory of computational complexity of continuous problems with noisy information and gives a number of applications; deterministic as well as stochastic noise is considered. He presents optimal algorithms, optimal information, and complexity bounds in different settings: worst case, average case, mixed worst-average and average-worst, and asymptotic. The book integrates the work of researchers in such areas as computational complexity, approximation theory and statistics, and includes many fresh results as well. About two hundred exercises are supplied with a view to increasing the reader's understanding of the subject. The text will be of interest to professional computer scientists, statis

From one of the architects of the new science of simplicity and complexity comes a highly personal, unifying vision of the natural world.

These notes are based on a series of lectures given at the Advanced Research Institute of Discrete Applied Mathematics held at Rutgers University. Their aim is to link together algorithmic problems arising in knot theory, statistical physics and classical combinatorics. Apart from the theory of computational complexity concerned with enumeration problems, introductions are given to several of the topics treated, such as combinatorial knot theory, randomised approximation algorithms, percolation and random cluster models. To researchers in discrete mathematics, computer science and statistical physics, this book will be of great interest, but any non-expert should find it an appealing guide to a very active area of research.

This work elucidates the structure and complexity of human language in terms of the mathematics of information and computation. It strengthens Chomsky's early work on the mathematics of language, with

Organisational Development in Practice: A Complexity Approach draws on conventional, critical and complexity thinking in relation to organisational development with a view to exploring what's useful and what's not.This book proffers an approach to organisational development that helps to develop, support, and maintain more democratic, collaborative, inclusive and sustainable ways of learning, working, and living. The author explores the practicalities of working with the frustrations and inconsistencies involved in coping with the patterns of human interaction that inevitably make up organisations, where planned and emergent approaches co-exist, whether we would like them to or not. Woven in between the substantive chapters are vignettes from a range of international practitioners reflecting on their own experiences in the field.This book is a radically different approach to organisational development suitable for advanced students and researchers of organisation and organisational dev

This book provides an introduction to the mathematical and algorithmic foundations of data science, including machine learning, high-dimensional geometry, and analysis of large networks. Topics include the counterintuitive nature of data in high dimensions, important linear algebraic techniques such as singular value decomposition, the theory of random walks and Markov chains, the fundamentals of and important algorithms for machine learning, algorithms and analysis for clustering, probabilistic models for large networks, representation learning including topic modelling and non-negative matrix factorization, wavelets and compressed sensing. Important probabilistic techniques are developed including the law of large numbers, tail inequalities, analysis of random projections, generalization guarantees in machine learning, and moment methods for analysis of phase transitions in large random graphs. Additionally, important structural and complexity measures are discussed such as matrix no

In A New Philosophy of Society Manuel DeLanda offers a fascinating look at how the contemporary world is characterized by an extraordinary social complexity. Since most social entities, from small com

Grammatical Complexity in Academic English uses corpus-based analyses to challenge a number of dominant stereotypes and assumptions within linguistics. Biber and Gray tackle the nature of grammatical complexity, demonstrating that embedded phrasal structures are as important as embedded dependent clauses. The authors also overturn ingrained assumptions about linguistic change, showing that grammatical change occurs in writing as well as speech. This work establishes that academic writing is structurally compressed (rather than elaborated); that it is often not explicit in the expression of meaning; and that scientific academic writing has been the locus of some of the most important grammatical changes in English over the past 200 years (rather than being conservative and resistant to change). Supported throughout with textual evidence, this work is essential reading for discourse analysts, sociolinguists, and applied linguists, as well as descriptive linguists and historical linguists

The complexity of the twenty-first century threat landscape contrasts markedly with the bilateral nuclear bargaining context envisioned by classical deterrence theory. Nuclear and conventional arsenal

The complexity of the twenty-first century threat landscape contrasts markedly with the bilateral nuclear bargaining context envisioned by classical deterrence theory. Nuclear and conventional arsenal

Issues surrounding business complexity plague organizations throughout the world. This situation is particularly true of the numerous complex projects and programs upon which organizations embark on a

Almost all organisations today face unprecedented levels of change, complexity and volatility. Navigating the resultant disruption dynamics is one of the most important stewardship challenges facing s

‘Complexity of Transboundary Water Conflicts’ seeks to understand transboundary water issues as complex systems with contingent conditions and possibilities. To address those conditions and leverage t

Golf is perhaps the most complicated simple game ever invented. Watching the professionals gives you only a glimpse of the complexity of what is happening, with each shot involving biomechanics, aerod

What could Tom Brady, Donald Trump, and Michael Lewis possibly have in common? Complexity. Lewis has analyzed it; Trump has discovered it; Brady has benefited from it. And the USA is entangled in it.C

Complexity lies at the heart of social work practice and this book is designed to help students and newly-qualified social workers plan for and manage complex cases in an increasingly complex environm

Complexity lies at the heart of social work practice and this book is designed to help students and newly-qualified social workers plan for and manage complex cases in an increasingly complex environm

This book presents a new approach that can be applied to complex, integrated individual and social human processes. It provides an alternative means of addressing complexity, better suited for its pur

Drawing on personal narrative accounts and lessons from the complexity sciences, this book examines conventional leadership development methodologies, identifying what is useful and what is not. It of

Drawing on personal narrative accounts and lessons from the complexity sciences, this book examines conventional leadership development methodologies, identifying what is useful and what is not. It of

This book examines the adverse effects of complexity, information asymmetries, transaction costs, and uncertainty on investors’ decision making. It suggests mitigating those effects using appropriate

Pathways to Complexity synthesizes a wealth of new archaeological data to illuminate the origins of Maya civilization and the rise of Classic Maya culture. In this volume, prominent Maya scholars argu

Uniquely reflects an engineering view to social systems in a wide variety of contexts of application Social Systems Engineering: The Design of Complexity brings together a wide variety of application

This book provides the first comprehensive introduction to the newly-emerging science of mobile phone behavior. It presents the unexpected complexity of human mobile phone behavior through four basic aspects of mobile phone usage (users, technologies, activities, and effects), and then explores four major domains of such behavior (medicine, business, education, and everyday life). Chapters open with thoughts on mobile phone usage and behavior from interviews with cell phone users, then present a series of scientific studies, synthesized knowledge, and real-life cases, concluding with complex but highly readable analyses of each aspect of mobile phone behavior. Readers should achieve two intellectual goals: gaining a usable knowledge of the complexity of mobile phone behaviour, and developing the skills to analyze the complexity of mobile phone usage - and further technological behaviors.

This book provides the first comprehensive introduction to the newly-emerging science of mobile phone behavior. It presents the unexpected complexity of human mobile phone behavior through four basic aspects of mobile phone usage (users, technologies, activities, and effects), and then explores four major domains of such behavior (medicine, business, education, and everyday life). Chapters open with thoughts on mobile phone usage and behavior from interviews with cell phone users, then present a series of scientific studies, synthesized knowledge, and real-life cases, concluding with complex but highly readable analyses of each aspect of mobile phone behavior. Readers should achieve two intellectual goals: gaining a usable knowledge of the complexity of mobile phone behaviour, and developing the skills to analyze the complexity of mobile phone usage - and further technological behaviors.