Download complexity - Environic Foundation International

complexity
What is it?
What do we do with it?
How do we study it?
Who cares?
Reflections by
Lemont B. Kier
A General Definition
•
•
•
•
Complexity is a property of some systems
It is a special kind of system organization
It is a special kind of function of a system
It is associated with all living systems
Systems
•
•
•
•
Things that we are interested in
They are defined by boundaries
They are made up of stuff called “agents”
They can be ranked:
– Simple
– Complicated
– Complex
Simple Systems
•
•
•
•
•
Can understand them by studying the agents
Little or no movement or change
Describes most inanimate things
The properties are a sum of the agents
Very little diversity
Examples of Simple Systems
Collections of things
● Stored stuff
● Counts of items
● Water vapor
● Usually man-made
● Each member of the system
is fungible
●
Complicated Systems
Can learn something by studying the agents
● Some of the functions are not easily related
to the parts
● We may lack the tools or knowledge to
learn more about them
● Found among most inanimate systems
●
Examples of Complicated
Systems
Devices: a watch, an engine
● Water ice, crystals
● Some numerical aspects of
complex systems: counts,
reoccurring events
●
Complex Systems
• Cannot understand very much by studying
the agents alone
● Many different agents
● Always in motion, always changing
● Many different functions
● Have a history
● All living things
Examples of Complex Systems
All living things
● Liquid water
● Society
● The economy
●
Why Study Complexity
• The only way to approach any
understanding of living systems
• The old way: reductionism
• The new way: synergy
• Synergy is the non-linear synthesis
of information to create understanding
● The new approach is systems biology
Characteristics of Complex
Systems
•
•
•
•
Agents are dynamic, interactive
The diversity of agent types is enormous
They self-organize
They exist within a hierarchy
The Agents
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The agents are dynamic and interactive
They change
Each has a history
They interact locally with neighbors
There is no master control of events
There are many types of agents
There is perpetual novelty
Self-Organize
Two fundamental phenomena of
complex systems:
Everything is dynamic
Things aggregate
● There is no master control of
organization, it is all local
●
Examples of Self-Organization
A crystal
A folded protein
A fetus
A herd
A city
Society
Diversity Everywhere
• Many types and numbers of agents
• An enormous number of possible
combinations of interactions
● Can respond to very many crises
● Can adapt to many changes in their
environment
Examples of Diversity
Cell proteins
● The immune system
● The food supply
● Shops in a city
● A tool kit
● The alphabet
●
Exist in a Hierarchy
• Each agent is, itself, a complex system
• Each complex system is an agent
• Each system exerts some control over
the agents within it
● Each agent is a part of a system of the
next higher order
● Studies cannot exceed immediate
relationship, called the logical depth
Examples of Hierarchy
→ atom
↓↑
molecule
↓↑
cell
↓↑
tissue
↓↑
organ
↓↑
human
↓↑
society →
Functions of Complex Systems
• Agents interact extensively
• Constant change in agent structure,
position, properties
● Changes in role of agents (adaptation)
● Diversity permits a greater degree of
different interactions
Emergence
• An encounter and an interaction leads to
changes in the agents → new properties
• New properties are not predictable from
the old properties
● The whole is more than the sum of the parts
●
This process is the signature of complex
systems
Examples of Emergence
Properties of water from H2 and O2
● A cell function from the action of the
protein networks
● Motion of animals from muscle function
● Meaning from a collection of letters
●
Dissolvence
• A companion event to emergence
• A change in the agents as they participate
in emergence
● A decrease in options, movement, and
some independence of agents
● Agents are under more control of higher
level complex systems
Examples of Dissolvence
Change of H2 and O2 properties when they
combine to form water
● Loss of free movement when cells join to
form tissue
● Behavioral changes when people join
others in a group
●
Adaptation
Complex systems adapt to events:
environmental crises, shortages,
crowding
● Made possible by diversity of
agents and possibilities
●
Examples of Adaptation
Organisms switching to different
nutrients in response to shortages
● Animal response to climate
changes
● Development of antibiotic resistant
bacteria
●
Anticipation
●
●
●
●
Internal models prepare the system
for changes
There are built-in alternatives
Information is fed forward
A survival imperative
Examples of Anticipation
●
●
●
●
●
●
Movement away from a chemical
concentration
Movement of flowers to face sunlight
Adrenalin release to prepare for combat
Uterine wall preparation for egg implant
Hormonal control of vascular muscle
Acid release in response to food odors
Ways to study complex systems
Understand their composition and
functions
● Reduction and synergy
● Create models and simulations
● Systems biology approach
●
Systems Biology
A blend of:
Experiment
Theory
Modeling
Pleasure
Appearance
Acceptance
Learning
Economics
PERSONNA
Stimulation
Comfort
Possesions
Memories
Health
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
physical & mental
↑
health →
contentment
self-care
↓
↑
physical ability
self-esteem
↓
↑
security ← productivity
EDUCATION
© ENVIRONIC FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
© ENVIRONIC FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL
All rights reserved.