Carl writes:
> Could you say more about how gradients *act* on a system?
Gradients act on the elements (agents) of a system. For example, in physics, a
gradient is equal and opposite to the force at a point acting on an element of a
system. In ABMs, the modeler explicitly defines this interaction by coding the
agent's ability to sense a gradient and to react to it. (eg foraging ants will
detect a pheromone gradient and move uphill in that gradient).
Carl writes:
> Are you saying that gradients embody agency?
I'm not sure "embody" is the correct term. I think gradients are "necessary" for
agency. I agree with Stu's definition of an autonomous agent which:
1 - measure useful displacements from equilibrium (eg gradient) from which
work can be extracted
2 - discover devices to couple to those energy sources such that work can be
extracted
3 - apply work to develop constraints to extract work
But thinking further, the term "embody" may not be off...certainly gradients
embody the potential for agency. eg. Boltzmann (1905) writes that "life
(agency?) is a struggle for the ability to perform work (gradient)..."
-Steve
Boltzmann, L. (1905). The Second Law of Thermodynamics. Populare Schriften.
Essay No. 3 (Address to Imperial Academy of
Science in 1886). Reprinted in English in: Theoretical Physics and Philosophical
Problems, Selected Writings of L. Boltzmann and D. Riedel, Dordrecht.
(referenced from Jorgenson & Fath, 2004)
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Carl Tollander [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Sent: Friday, July 21, 2006 10:36 PM
> To: The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group
> Subject: Re: [FRIAM] formalization of Complexity (was
> Dynamics of Complex Systems by Yaneer Bar-Yam)
>
> Stephen,
>
> Could you say more about how gradients *act* on a system?
>
> I tend to think of gradients as new (non-adjoint) structure
> produced by the application of constraints between elements
> in a system. That is, the constraints form the context (the
> DOF) for the gradient.
>
> I think I may be able to reconcile this with Hubler's
> definition (some problems with that "well designed" part),
> but the the latter is more challenging. Are you saying that
> gradients embody agency? How do we describe the dissipative
> capacity of a degree of freedom so that we can characterize
> what happens when it breaks down?
>
> Hmmm, ok, I now think I see how to answer that, but lets see
> what the comments are...
>
> Carl
>
> Stephen Guerin wrote:
> >
> >
> >> Yet when I ask for a formal treatment, I get no answer.
> >>
> >
> > I very much like Hubler's deceptively simple definition of
> complexity:
> > "A complex systems is a system with large throughput of Energy,
> > Information, Force, .... through a well designed boundary."
> >
> > His notes from the SFI CSSS school with this definition are here:
> > http://www.how-why.com/ucs2002/tutorial/
> >
> >
> > As a restatement of the same ideas that formalizes what
> "large" means,
> > I would
> > offer:
> > "complexity emerges when a gradient acting on a system
> exceeds the
> > capacity of the internal degrees of freedom of the system
> to dissipate
> > the gradient".
> >
> >
> > Is that formal enough? or, does the statement need to be
> mathematized?
> >
> > -Steve
> >
> > ________________________________________
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> >
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> >
> >
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