Owen - this kind of "editorial value added" is "invaluable" , thanks...
- Steve On Aug 1, 2006, at 12:12 PM, Owen Densmore wrote: > To kick off our discussions of Formalisms In Complexity, I thought > I'd add this to the mix. > > -- Owen > > Owen Densmore > http://backspaces.net - http://redfish.com - http://friam.org > > ------------------------------------------------------------------ > > The Six Desert Island Books On Complexity (In no particular order) > > This list began after several conversations on FRIAM about formalism, > and its lack, in Complexity. These prompted me to see just what > *was* available. These books all cover part of our Science with > sufficient formalism. I've not read all of any of them, they are > more like references for me, but they are focused on areas important > to be rigorous about within our Science, if it is to be one. > > 1 - Bar-Yam: Dynamics of Complex Systems > http://tinyurl.com/qumgf > I put this first because it stands in for a Complexity Textbook. > Surprisingly, there are no such texts that I've been able to find. > Bar-Yam does a great job of looking at the areas deemed complex in > the early 1990's when the book was written. > > 2 - Newman, Barabasi, Watts: The Structure and Dynamics of Networks > http://tinyurl.com/jh3u8 > This is "the next best thing" to a textbook, a series of readings, > with a good introduction, in an area within complexity. There are > others books of readings, the SFI redbooks, for example. This is > particularly of interest to us due to the fast rise of graph theory > within modeling. > > 3 - MacKay: Information Theory, Inference, and Learning Algorithms > http://www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/mackay/ > http://tinyurl.com/e5len > Robert Holmes led us to this delightful book when he led a couple of > WedTech meetings on the Monte Carlo techniques (Ch 29). This book is > not only exceptional for its breadth, but also for its author putting > the entire book online for free use! He also includes software > examples using open source tools and actively maintains errata on his > website. > > 4 - Gintis: Game Theory Evolving > http://tinyurl.com/ew3yr > Many of us use Agent Based Modeling for investigating problems. The > agents have behavior and evolve in time. This book is a bit wacky in > its approach, disdaining dogmatic and classical approaches, in order > to focus on the import of evolution within game theory. Its kinda > fun too. > > 5 - Strogatz: Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos: With Applications > to Physics, Biology, Chemistry and Engineering > http://tinyurl.com/e8ldl > Strogatz may be the best teacher of technically difficult material in > the world! He's won important prizes in this area. This is a great > book for physicists who've always wondered why their profs gently led > them around the great gaping holes in their art. > > 6 - Devaney: An Introduction to Chaotic Dynamical Systems > http://tinyurl.com/z3l8r > Our sister science, Chaos, has made exquisite headway in formalizing > a difficult area. Were we so lucky! I have Chaos envy! There are > several books out there, but this is the most cited I think. I'd > also consider Davies, Exploring Chaos, for his short treatment and > inclusion of really excellent Java applets, and Williams, Chaos > Theory Tamed, for its very pragmatic, approachable and broad coverage. > > > > On Jul 31, 2006, at 11:23 AM, Owen Densmore wrote: > >> As you have likely noticed, we've had a few conversations on FRIAM >> discussing formalisms in complexity: >> [FRIAM] Definition of Complexity >> [FRIAM] Dynamics of Complex Systems by Yaneer Bar-Yam >> [FRIAM] Lyapunov Exponent >> [FRIAM] What have the Romans - sorry - complexity done for us? >> >> You are invited to come chat about all this in person at the WedTech >> meeting this Wed, Aug 2. >> >> Due to schedule madness, we'll meet at 1:30, later than usual. We'll >> not need the conference room, so we'll meet at Tesoro so we can lunch >> while chatting. Best to get there a bit earlier so you can order >> lunch/greet before we start. >> >> Feel free to think of an issue or stance taken in the email exchanges >> and expand upon the theme. Or come with something new! Devil's >> advocates welcome! >> >> Examples taken from the various emails: >> - Hubler's and Gell-Mann's Definitions. >> - Thermal Dynamic or Statistical Mechanic formalisms. >> - Dissipative Structures, Gradients and Work. >> - Few Textbooks covering the field. >> - What headway has been made in the last 10 years? >> - Define Self Organization and/or Emergence. >> - Measures: Reynolds number, Correlation Length, etc. >> - What's the rush -- its emerging itself! >> - It's not a science but an approach. >> - This is silly and you are all chasing your tails! >> >> -- Owen >> >> Owen Densmore >> http://backspaces.net - http://redfish.com - http://friam.org >> >> >> >> ============================================================ >> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv >> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College >> lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org > > > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
