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Article: Complexity
- Article from:
- Encyclopedia of Science and Religion
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Complexity
Whereas cosmology explores the boundaries of the very large, and quantum theory the nature of the very small, complexity theory aims to understand the emergence and development of orders at every level, including the medium size world. To the riddles of the macroscopic and the microscopic are added the puzzles of complex pattern formation in semistable dynamical systems known from everyday life.
Semistable systems are usually nonlinear, so small inputs may trigger dramatic changes. Examples are volcanos and tornados, embryologic and ecological evolution, traffic systems, and stock markets. These are not new areas of research, but the computerization of science since the ...