A well written and lively treatment of cross-disciplinary applications of physics
Bursting with fascinating examples from natural and social systems
Scientifically accurate but accessible to readers with no prior mathematical knowledge
This wide-ranging and accessible book serves as a fascinating guide to the strategies and concepts that help us understand the boundaries between physics, on the one hand, and sociology, economics, and biology on the other. From cooperation and criticality to flock dynamics and fractals, the author addresses many of the topics belonging to the broad theme of complexity. He chooses excellent examples (requiring no prior mathematical knowledge) to illuminate these ideas and their implications. The lively style and clear description of the relevant models will appeal both to novices and those with an existing knowledge of the field.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A glance at the method.- The automata.- Chaotic and noisy.- Critical worlds.- Chance and necessity.- Size does not always matter.- Living things.- Interacting humans.- Epilogue