Another reason for "hidden" structures is our
limited capacity for instant in-depth analysis.
They only appear to be "hidden" for us.
Look at this XKCD Cartoon: http://xkcd.com/731/
There seems to be nothing but flat empty
water as far as the eye can see, but there
is a large number of complex structures
below the surface.
In this sense, there is a large number of
hidden structures in some systems because we
have cognitive limitations. There is a limit
in our cognitive abilities to perceive complex
structures. We can recognize certain patterns
and superficial structures at once, but
we are not able to make an instant
in-depth analysis of a complex system.
-J.
----- Original Message -----
From: Russ Abbott
To: The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group
Sent: Sunday, April 25, 2010 6:47 AM
Subject: [FRIAM] Why are there theorems?
[..] So the question is: why do so many structures have hidden internal
structures? [..] Why should there be any hidden structure?
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