Dawn R. Gilpin and Priscilla J. Murphy
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195328721
- eISBN:
- 9780199869930
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195328721.003.0004
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Strategy
This chapter defines major concepts in complexity theory, giving an overview of its foundations and describing the most important theoretical perspectives currently being explored. It links ...
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This chapter defines major concepts in complexity theory, giving an overview of its foundations and describing the most important theoretical perspectives currently being explored. It links complexity with crisis management, laying out the approach that will guide the discussion in the remainder of this book. It discusses the seven principles of complex systems: interacting agents, adaptability, self-organization, instability, influence of history, permeable boundaries, and irreducibility. It then presents the three approaches to complexity theory: reductionist complexity science, soft complexity science, and complexity-based thinking.Less
This chapter defines major concepts in complexity theory, giving an overview of its foundations and describing the most important theoretical perspectives currently being explored. It links complexity with crisis management, laying out the approach that will guide the discussion in the remainder of this book. It discusses the seven principles of complex systems: interacting agents, adaptability, self-organization, instability, influence of history, permeable boundaries, and irreducibility. It then presents the three approaches to complexity theory: reductionist complexity science, soft complexity science, and complexity-based thinking.
Pavol Hell and Jaroslav Nesetril
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780198528173
- eISBN:
- 9780191713644
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198528173.001.0001
- Subject:
- Mathematics, Combinatorics / Graph Theory / Discrete Mathematics
Graph theory is now an established discipline but the study of graph homomorphisms has only recently begun to gain wide acceptance and interest. This text is devoted entirely to the subject, bringing ...
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Graph theory is now an established discipline but the study of graph homomorphisms has only recently begun to gain wide acceptance and interest. This text is devoted entirely to the subject, bringing together the highlights of the theory and its many applications. It looks at areas such as graph reconstruction, products, fractional and circular colourings, and constraint satisfaction problems, and has applications in complexity theory, artificial intelligence, telecommunications, and statistical physics. It has a wide focus on algebraic, combinatorial, and algorithmic aspects of graph homomorphisms. A reference list and historical summaries extend the material explicitly discussed. The book contains exercises of varying difficulty. Hints or references are provided for the more difficult exercises.Less
Graph theory is now an established discipline but the study of graph homomorphisms has only recently begun to gain wide acceptance and interest. This text is devoted entirely to the subject, bringing together the highlights of the theory and its many applications. It looks at areas such as graph reconstruction, products, fractional and circular colourings, and constraint satisfaction problems, and has applications in complexity theory, artificial intelligence, telecommunications, and statistical physics. It has a wide focus on algebraic, combinatorial, and algorithmic aspects of graph homomorphisms. A reference list and historical summaries extend the material explicitly discussed. The book contains exercises of varying difficulty. Hints or references are provided for the more difficult exercises.
Anat Ninio
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- April 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199299829
- eISBN:
- 9780191584985
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199299829.003.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Models and Architectures
This introductory chapter begins with a discussion of the purpose of this book, which is to propose the integration of up-to-date principles of theoretical linguistics, cognitive psychology, and ...
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This introductory chapter begins with a discussion of the purpose of this book, which is to propose the integration of up-to-date principles of theoretical linguistics, cognitive psychology, and complexity theory into a model of syntactic development. The goal is to examine a few core principles developed in linguistics (about syntax), in cognitive psychology (about human learning), and in complexity theory (about the growth of complex systems), and to derive from them hypotheses about the possible mechanisms of syntactic development. It presents developmental evidence about the hypotheses, and concludes with the best generalization about syntactic development based on theory and empirical data.Less
This introductory chapter begins with a discussion of the purpose of this book, which is to propose the integration of up-to-date principles of theoretical linguistics, cognitive psychology, and complexity theory into a model of syntactic development. The goal is to examine a few core principles developed in linguistics (about syntax), in cognitive psychology (about human learning), and in complexity theory (about the growth of complex systems), and to derive from them hypotheses about the possible mechanisms of syntactic development. It presents developmental evidence about the hypotheses, and concludes with the best generalization about syntactic development based on theory and empirical data.
Herbert Gintis
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691160849
- eISBN:
- 9781400851348
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691160849.003.0011
- Subject:
- Sociology, Economic Sociology
The behavioral sciences include economics, anthropology, sociology, psychology, and political science, as well as biology insofar as it deals with animal and human behavior. These disciplines have ...
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The behavioral sciences include economics, anthropology, sociology, psychology, and political science, as well as biology insofar as it deals with animal and human behavior. These disciplines have distinct research foci, but they include four conflicting models of decision making and strategic interaction, as determined by what is taught in the graduate curriculum and what is accepted in journal articles without reviewer objection. The four are the psychological, the sociological, the biological, and the economic. These four models are not only different, but are also incompatible. That is, each makes assertions concerning choice behavior that are denied by the others. This means, of course, that at least three of the four are certainly incorrect. This chapter argues that in fact all four are flawed but can be modified to produce a unified framework for modeling choice and strategic interaction for all of the behavioral sciences. The framework for unification includes five conceptual units: (a) gene-culture coevolution; (b) the sociopsychological theory of norms; (c) game theory, (d) the rational actor model; and (e) complexity theory.Less
The behavioral sciences include economics, anthropology, sociology, psychology, and political science, as well as biology insofar as it deals with animal and human behavior. These disciplines have distinct research foci, but they include four conflicting models of decision making and strategic interaction, as determined by what is taught in the graduate curriculum and what is accepted in journal articles without reviewer objection. The four are the psychological, the sociological, the biological, and the economic. These four models are not only different, but are also incompatible. That is, each makes assertions concerning choice behavior that are denied by the others. This means, of course, that at least three of the four are certainly incorrect. This chapter argues that in fact all four are flawed but can be modified to produce a unified framework for modeling choice and strategic interaction for all of the behavioral sciences. The framework for unification includes five conceptual units: (a) gene-culture coevolution; (b) the sociopsychological theory of norms; (c) game theory, (d) the rational actor model; and (e) complexity theory.
Kumaraswamy Velupillai
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198295273
- eISBN:
- 9780191596988
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198295278.003.0005
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Macro- and Monetary Economics
A theory of induction, based on the formalism of algorithmic complexity theory, is introduced in this chapter. This is then used to underpin a theory of learning and a computable basis for inductive ...
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A theory of induction, based on the formalism of algorithmic complexity theory, is introduced in this chapter. This is then used to underpin a theory of learning and a computable basis for inductive inference. The historical and philosophical backdrops against which these theories developed are also given, albeit concisely.Less
A theory of induction, based on the formalism of algorithmic complexity theory, is introduced in this chapter. This is then used to underpin a theory of learning and a computable basis for inductive inference. The historical and philosophical backdrops against which these theories developed are also given, albeit concisely.
Adrian Little
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748633654
- eISBN:
- 9780748652709
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748633654.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Democratization
This book presents an analysis of the nature of democratic theory, focusing on the prevalence of pious discourses of democracy in contemporary politics. Democracy is now promoted in religious terms ...
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This book presents an analysis of the nature of democratic theory, focusing on the prevalence of pious discourses of democracy in contemporary politics. Democracy is now promoted in religious terms to such an extent that it has become sacrosanct in Western political theory. The book argues that such piety relies on unsophisticated political analysis, paying scant attention to the complex conditions of contemporary politics. The contention is that it is more useful to think of democracy in terms of the centrality of political disagreement and its propensity to generate political violence. This argument is exemplified by the ways in which democracy and violence have been conceptualised in the war on terrorism. The book challenges democratic piety through the application of key contemporary approaches in political theory, including complexity theory, post-structuralism, and the idea of radical democracy. It uses the work of theorists such as Jacques Ranciére, William Connolly, Chantal Mouffe, Judith Butler, Giorgio Agamben, Walter Benjamin, and Alain Badiou to interrogate the discourses of democracy that characterise contemporary political debate. Finally, the book grounds the theoretical analysis of democratic discourse with examples from contemporary politics such as the struggles for recognition of refugees and asylum seekers.Less
This book presents an analysis of the nature of democratic theory, focusing on the prevalence of pious discourses of democracy in contemporary politics. Democracy is now promoted in religious terms to such an extent that it has become sacrosanct in Western political theory. The book argues that such piety relies on unsophisticated political analysis, paying scant attention to the complex conditions of contemporary politics. The contention is that it is more useful to think of democracy in terms of the centrality of political disagreement and its propensity to generate political violence. This argument is exemplified by the ways in which democracy and violence have been conceptualised in the war on terrorism. The book challenges democratic piety through the application of key contemporary approaches in political theory, including complexity theory, post-structuralism, and the idea of radical democracy. It uses the work of theorists such as Jacques Ranciére, William Connolly, Chantal Mouffe, Judith Butler, Giorgio Agamben, Walter Benjamin, and Alain Badiou to interrogate the discourses of democracy that characterise contemporary political debate. Finally, the book grounds the theoretical analysis of democratic discourse with examples from contemporary politics such as the struggles for recognition of refugees and asylum seekers.
Michael Wolf-Branigin
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199829460
- eISBN:
- 9780199315895
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199829460.001.0001
- Subject:
- Social Work, Research and Evaluation
Complexity theory provides a promising framework for organizing and conducting social work research and evaluation. This book explores the history and roots of complexity and related concepts by ...
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Complexity theory provides a promising framework for organizing and conducting social work research and evaluation. This book explores the history and roots of complexity and related concepts by garnering an understanding of the components that comprise complex systems. These components include being agent-based, being sensitive to initial conditions, having attraction, being heterogeneous, operating as an iterative process, having boundaries, using feedback, and creating a self-organizing emergent behavior. Readers will learn to frame their research using the components found in complex systems by using their existing knowledge of research methods and applying basic mathematical concepts. Several concepts related to complexity theory are introduced and applied to social work research studies, including bordering between chaos and equilibrium, diverse perspectives, diverse heuristics, robustness, and the wisdom of crowds. Many of the theoretical and mathematical concepts underlying complexity are introduced, such as game theory, graph theory, Boolean logic, decision theory, and network science. Using this background, the reader will gain an understanding of the interconnectedness and networking that this approach provides. Statistical methods familiar to many readers are reviewed and applied to complexity. Readers will gain an understanding of agent-based modeling as a new and evolving computational approach for creating simulations to represent and forecast complex systems. To advance this line of inquiry, a complexity research agenda for social work is developed.Less
Complexity theory provides a promising framework for organizing and conducting social work research and evaluation. This book explores the history and roots of complexity and related concepts by garnering an understanding of the components that comprise complex systems. These components include being agent-based, being sensitive to initial conditions, having attraction, being heterogeneous, operating as an iterative process, having boundaries, using feedback, and creating a self-organizing emergent behavior. Readers will learn to frame their research using the components found in complex systems by using their existing knowledge of research methods and applying basic mathematical concepts. Several concepts related to complexity theory are introduced and applied to social work research studies, including bordering between chaos and equilibrium, diverse perspectives, diverse heuristics, robustness, and the wisdom of crowds. Many of the theoretical and mathematical concepts underlying complexity are introduced, such as game theory, graph theory, Boolean logic, decision theory, and network science. Using this background, the reader will gain an understanding of the interconnectedness and networking that this approach provides. Statistical methods familiar to many readers are reviewed and applied to complexity. Readers will gain an understanding of agent-based modeling as a new and evolving computational approach for creating simulations to represent and forecast complex systems. To advance this line of inquiry, a complexity research agenda for social work is developed.
Rolf Niedermeier
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780198566076
- eISBN:
- 9780191713910
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198566076.003.0014
- Subject:
- Mathematics, Combinatorics / Graph Theory / Discrete Mathematics
This chapter summarizes the currently known connections between fixed-parameter and polynomial-time approximation algorithmics. Important topics in this context are lower bound and impossibility ...
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This chapter summarizes the currently known connections between fixed-parameter and polynomial-time approximation algorithmics. Important topics in this context are lower bound and impossibility results. In particular, polynomial-time approximation schemes are discussed in some detail, providing a link with parameterized complexity theory.Less
This chapter summarizes the currently known connections between fixed-parameter and polynomial-time approximation algorithmics. Important topics in this context are lower bound and impossibility results. In particular, polynomial-time approximation schemes are discussed in some detail, providing a link with parameterized complexity theory.
Adrian Little
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748633654
- eISBN:
- 9780748652709
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748633654.003.0002
- Subject:
- Political Science, Democratization
This chapter points to the way in which the idea of complexity has had a substantial impact in fields such as public policy and organisational theory, whilst noting that it has rarely been applied to ...
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This chapter points to the way in which the idea of complexity has had a substantial impact in fields such as public policy and organisational theory, whilst noting that it has rarely been applied to the politics of conflict and its relationship with democracy. It suggests that such an approach is integral to developing a critical theory of democratic politics. Borrowing from the natural sciences, complexity theory suggests that social and political phenomena cannot be understood through strict linear models of scientific explanation. Instead, it should be recognised that there is a multiplicity of factors that contribute to the emergence of political issues, issues which cannot be simply reduced to their most basic components. Furthermore, it is at the intersection of a multiplicity of phenomena that specific social issues emerge.Less
This chapter points to the way in which the idea of complexity has had a substantial impact in fields such as public policy and organisational theory, whilst noting that it has rarely been applied to the politics of conflict and its relationship with democracy. It suggests that such an approach is integral to developing a critical theory of democratic politics. Borrowing from the natural sciences, complexity theory suggests that social and political phenomena cannot be understood through strict linear models of scientific explanation. Instead, it should be recognised that there is a multiplicity of factors that contribute to the emergence of political issues, issues which cannot be simply reduced to their most basic components. Furthermore, it is at the intersection of a multiplicity of phenomena that specific social issues emerge.
Rolf Niedermeier
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780198566076
- eISBN:
- 9780191713910
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198566076.003.0002
- Subject:
- Mathematics, Combinatorics / Graph Theory / Discrete Mathematics
This chapter introduces the basic mathematical formalism and discusses concepts used throughout the book. Among other things, it looks at decision problems vs optimization problems, Random Access ...
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This chapter introduces the basic mathematical formalism and discusses concepts used throughout the book. Among other things, it looks at decision problems vs optimization problems, Random Access Machines, big Oh notation, strings and graphs. It concludes by looking at the basics from computational complexity theory.Less
This chapter introduces the basic mathematical formalism and discusses concepts used throughout the book. Among other things, it looks at decision problems vs optimization problems, Random Access Machines, big Oh notation, strings and graphs. It concludes by looking at the basics from computational complexity theory.
Anat Ninio
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- April 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199299829
- eISBN:
- 9780191584985
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199299829.003.0006
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Models and Architectures
This chapter examines the role of the environment in syntactic development, and argues for novel conceptualization derived from complexity theory. According to this view, language is a complex ...
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This chapter examines the role of the environment in syntactic development, and argues for novel conceptualization derived from complexity theory. According to this view, language is a complex network, consisting of linguistic items as well as speakers who produce words and sentences when they speak. This chapter introduces complex systems and complex networks, in particular bipartite networks, which are then used to conceptualize speakers and linguistic items. The basics of graph theory are presented and so are Zipf and Pareto curves depicting distributions of items' frequency of use in a network. The principle of preferential attachment is described, contrasting it with a deterministic frequency effect. The implication for first language acquisition is that learning means linking to the huge language network; children learning to produce syntactic combinations do not reinvent language, nor do they internalize it; instead, they link to networks of other speakers producing similar combinations.Less
This chapter examines the role of the environment in syntactic development, and argues for novel conceptualization derived from complexity theory. According to this view, language is a complex network, consisting of linguistic items as well as speakers who produce words and sentences when they speak. This chapter introduces complex systems and complex networks, in particular bipartite networks, which are then used to conceptualize speakers and linguistic items. The basics of graph theory are presented and so are Zipf and Pareto curves depicting distributions of items' frequency of use in a network. The principle of preferential attachment is described, contrasting it with a deterministic frequency effect. The implication for first language acquisition is that learning means linking to the huge language network; children learning to produce syntactic combinations do not reinvent language, nor do they internalize it; instead, they link to networks of other speakers producing similar combinations.
Anat Ninio
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- April 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199299829
- eISBN:
- 9780191584985
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199299829.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Models and Architectures
Language development remains one of the most hotly debated topics in the cognitive sciences. In recent years, we have seen contributions to the debate from researchers in psychology, linguistics, ...
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Language development remains one of the most hotly debated topics in the cognitive sciences. In recent years, we have seen contributions to the debate from researchers in psychology, linguistics, artificial intelligence, and philosophy, though there have been surprisingly few interdisciplinary attempts at unifying the various theories. This book offers a new view of language development. Drawing on formal linguistic theory (the Minimalist Program, Dependency Grammars), cognitive psychology (Skill Learning) computational linguistics (Zipf curves), and Complexity Theory (networks), it takes the view that syntactic development is a simple process and that syntax can be learned just like any other cognitive or motor skill. This book develops a learning theory of the acquisition of syntax that builds on the contribution of the different source theories in a detailed and explicit manner. Each chapter starts by laying the relevant theoretical background, before examining empirical data on child language acquisition. The result is a bold new theory of the acquisition of syntax, unusual in its combination of Chomskian linguistics and learning theory. This book challenges many of our usual assumptions about syntactic development.Less
Language development remains one of the most hotly debated topics in the cognitive sciences. In recent years, we have seen contributions to the debate from researchers in psychology, linguistics, artificial intelligence, and philosophy, though there have been surprisingly few interdisciplinary attempts at unifying the various theories. This book offers a new view of language development. Drawing on formal linguistic theory (the Minimalist Program, Dependency Grammars), cognitive psychology (Skill Learning) computational linguistics (Zipf curves), and Complexity Theory (networks), it takes the view that syntactic development is a simple process and that syntax can be learned just like any other cognitive or motor skill. This book develops a learning theory of the acquisition of syntax that builds on the contribution of the different source theories in a detailed and explicit manner. Each chapter starts by laying the relevant theoretical background, before examining empirical data on child language acquisition. The result is a bold new theory of the acquisition of syntax, unusual in its combination of Chomskian linguistics and learning theory. This book challenges many of our usual assumptions about syntactic development.
Adrian Little
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748633654
- eISBN:
- 9780748652709
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748633654.003.0003
- Subject:
- Political Science, Democratization
This chapter builds upon the combination of complexity theory and post-structuralism to draw out the implications of complexity for understanding political conflicts. By examining the dynamics of ...
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This chapter builds upon the combination of complexity theory and post-structuralism to draw out the implications of complexity for understanding political conflicts. By examining the dynamics of conflict in sites such as Northern Ireland and the Middle East, the argument points to a range of issues that give rise to multiple readings of conflict situations. On this basis, it is important to realise that attempts to reduce conflicts to their simplest components do not necessarily facilitate understanding of the contemporary dynamics of a contested situation. Explanations of different disputes as primarily national, territorial, religious, ethnic, or cultural can help to obscure the interaction of a multiplicity of reasons for a particular conflict. However, rather than merely fusing together some of these explanatory arguments to provide a more comprehensive model, this chapter suggests that varying issues come to the fore in different political contestations.Less
This chapter builds upon the combination of complexity theory and post-structuralism to draw out the implications of complexity for understanding political conflicts. By examining the dynamics of conflict in sites such as Northern Ireland and the Middle East, the argument points to a range of issues that give rise to multiple readings of conflict situations. On this basis, it is important to realise that attempts to reduce conflicts to their simplest components do not necessarily facilitate understanding of the contemporary dynamics of a contested situation. Explanations of different disputes as primarily national, territorial, religious, ethnic, or cultural can help to obscure the interaction of a multiplicity of reasons for a particular conflict. However, rather than merely fusing together some of these explanatory arguments to provide a more comprehensive model, this chapter suggests that varying issues come to the fore in different political contestations.
Mark A. Bedau and Paul Humphreys (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- August 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780262026215
- eISBN:
- 9780262268011
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262026215.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Science
Emergence, largely ignored just thirty years ago, has become one of the liveliest areas of research in both philosophy and science. Fueled by advances in complexity theory, artificial life, physics, ...
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Emergence, largely ignored just thirty years ago, has become one of the liveliest areas of research in both philosophy and science. Fueled by advances in complexity theory, artificial life, physics, psychology, sociology, and biology, and by the parallel development of new conceptual tools in philosophy, the idea of emergence offers a way to understand a wide variety of complex phenomena in ways that are intriguingly different from more traditional approaches. This reader collects classic writings on emergence from contemporary philosophy and science. The chapters cover the major approaches to emergence. Each of the three sections (“Philosophical Perspectives,” “Scientific Perspectives,” and “Background and Polemics”) begins with an introduction putting the chapters into context and posing key questions for further exploration. A bibliography lists more specialized material, and an associated website (http://mitpress.mit.edu/emergence) links to downloadable software and to other sites and publications about emergence.Less
Emergence, largely ignored just thirty years ago, has become one of the liveliest areas of research in both philosophy and science. Fueled by advances in complexity theory, artificial life, physics, psychology, sociology, and biology, and by the parallel development of new conceptual tools in philosophy, the idea of emergence offers a way to understand a wide variety of complex phenomena in ways that are intriguingly different from more traditional approaches. This reader collects classic writings on emergence from contemporary philosophy and science. The chapters cover the major approaches to emergence. Each of the three sections (“Philosophical Perspectives,” “Scientific Perspectives,” and “Background and Polemics”) begins with an introduction putting the chapters into context and posing key questions for further exploration. A bibliography lists more specialized material, and an associated website (http://mitpress.mit.edu/emergence) links to downloadable software and to other sites and publications about emergence.
Aaron Pycroft and Clemens Bartollas (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- January 2015
- ISBN:
- 9781447311409
- eISBN:
- 9781447311430
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781447311409.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Law, Crime and Deviance
Approaches based around complexity theory are increasingly being used in the study of organisations and the delivery of services. This is the first book to explore the application of complexity ...
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Approaches based around complexity theory are increasingly being used in the study of organisations and the delivery of services. This is the first book to explore the application of complexity theory to difficult practice issues in criminal justice and social work and is intended to stimulate debate. It brings together experts in this emerging field to address complexity theory from a range of perspectives (positivist, realist, and constructivist), providing a detailed but accessible discussion of the key issues to whole systems approaches. The chapters cover theory and research on the nature of complex adaptive systems, their application to key areas of service delivery and the efficacy and ethics of criminal justice and social work interventions. The book argues for the usefulness of applying complexity theory to address significant and intractable social problems and also challenges the reductionist approaches to solving those problems currently favoured by policy makers. It will be of interest to academics and postgraduate students in social work and criminal justice.Less
Approaches based around complexity theory are increasingly being used in the study of organisations and the delivery of services. This is the first book to explore the application of complexity theory to difficult practice issues in criminal justice and social work and is intended to stimulate debate. It brings together experts in this emerging field to address complexity theory from a range of perspectives (positivist, realist, and constructivist), providing a detailed but accessible discussion of the key issues to whole systems approaches. The chapters cover theory and research on the nature of complex adaptive systems, their application to key areas of service delivery and the efficacy and ethics of criminal justice and social work interventions. The book argues for the usefulness of applying complexity theory to address significant and intractable social problems and also challenges the reductionist approaches to solving those problems currently favoured by policy makers. It will be of interest to academics and postgraduate students in social work and criminal justice.
Roger White, Guy Engelen, and Inge Uljee
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780262029568
- eISBN:
- 9780262331371
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262029568.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Environmental Politics
Cities and regions are highly complex but ordered systems. They are thus best understood by modelling within the framework of the theory of complex, self-organizing systems. This theory suggests that ...
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Cities and regions are highly complex but ordered systems. They are thus best understood by modelling within the framework of the theory of complex, self-organizing systems. This theory suggests that fractal structure is a signature of self-organized systems, and that systems that are far from thermodynamic equilibrium have open futures. These two phenomena have important consequences for the calibration and validation of realistic models, with the open futures phenomenon raising fundamental methodological issues that are addressed in the book. The models themselves are cellular automata (CA) based, because CA are inherently spatial, high resolution, and dynamic. The basic model focuses on land use change, using multiple urban land use classes, with the dynamics driven by linked demographic, economic, and natural system models. Subsequently, a zone-based model of the spatial dynamics of population and economic activity is inserted to constrain the CA model regionally. Ultimately, the dynamics of population and economic activity are modelled together with land use in an activity based variable grid CA which captures spatial interaction effects at all scales, not just local, and permits multiple activities on a single cell. These models show how the complex but ordered urban and regional structure emerges; thus they constitute an advance in urban theory. They also provide a platform that planners can use to investigate the likely effectiveness of proposed plans and policies. Applications to a number of cities and regions are discussed, and applications to Flanders, implemented as part of the official planning process, are described in detail.Less
Cities and regions are highly complex but ordered systems. They are thus best understood by modelling within the framework of the theory of complex, self-organizing systems. This theory suggests that fractal structure is a signature of self-organized systems, and that systems that are far from thermodynamic equilibrium have open futures. These two phenomena have important consequences for the calibration and validation of realistic models, with the open futures phenomenon raising fundamental methodological issues that are addressed in the book. The models themselves are cellular automata (CA) based, because CA are inherently spatial, high resolution, and dynamic. The basic model focuses on land use change, using multiple urban land use classes, with the dynamics driven by linked demographic, economic, and natural system models. Subsequently, a zone-based model of the spatial dynamics of population and economic activity is inserted to constrain the CA model regionally. Ultimately, the dynamics of population and economic activity are modelled together with land use in an activity based variable grid CA which captures spatial interaction effects at all scales, not just local, and permits multiple activities on a single cell. These models show how the complex but ordered urban and regional structure emerges; thus they constitute an advance in urban theory. They also provide a platform that planners can use to investigate the likely effectiveness of proposed plans and policies. Applications to a number of cities and regions are discussed, and applications to Flanders, implemented as part of the official planning process, are described in detail.
John Mayfield
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231163040
- eISBN:
- 9780231535281
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231163040.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
The concepts of evolution and complexity theory have become part of the intellectual ether permeating the life sciences, the social and behavioral sciences, and, more recently, management science and ...
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The concepts of evolution and complexity theory have become part of the intellectual ether permeating the life sciences, the social and behavioral sciences, and, more recently, management science and economics. This book synthesizes core concepts from multiple disciplines to offer a new approach to understanding how evolution works and how complex organisms, structures, organizations, and social orders can and do arise based on information theory and computational science. This book challenges readers with a nuanced understanding of evolution and complexity that offers consistent, durable, and coherent explanations for major aspects of our life experiences. Numerous examples throughout the book illustrate evolution and complexity formation in action and highlight the core function of computation lying at the work's heart.Less
The concepts of evolution and complexity theory have become part of the intellectual ether permeating the life sciences, the social and behavioral sciences, and, more recently, management science and economics. This book synthesizes core concepts from multiple disciplines to offer a new approach to understanding how evolution works and how complex organisms, structures, organizations, and social orders can and do arise based on information theory and computational science. This book challenges readers with a nuanced understanding of evolution and complexity that offers consistent, durable, and coherent explanations for major aspects of our life experiences. Numerous examples throughout the book illustrate evolution and complexity formation in action and highlight the core function of computation lying at the work's heart.
Tim Blackman
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781861346117
- eISBN:
- 9781447302971
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781861346117.001.0001
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health
Where people live matters to their health. Health-improvement strategies often target where people live, but do they work? This book tackles this question by exploring new theoretical, empirical, and ...
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Where people live matters to their health. Health-improvement strategies often target where people live, but do they work? This book tackles this question by exploring new theoretical, empirical, and practice perspectives on this issue, anchored by major studies of England's Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy and the Programme for Action on health inequalities. It uses complexity theory to understand the inter-relationships between neighbourhood change, the emergence of states of health, and policy interventions managed using performance indicators. This is complemented by reviews of the international evidence base on area effects and neighbourhood change, supplemented by new insights from the author's own research and experience as an advisor to local-neighbourhood-renewal strategies. The book is a wide-ranging study with many new examples of the impact of neighbourhood conditions from smoking to dementia.Less
Where people live matters to their health. Health-improvement strategies often target where people live, but do they work? This book tackles this question by exploring new theoretical, empirical, and practice perspectives on this issue, anchored by major studies of England's Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy and the Programme for Action on health inequalities. It uses complexity theory to understand the inter-relationships between neighbourhood change, the emergence of states of health, and policy interventions managed using performance indicators. This is complemented by reviews of the international evidence base on area effects and neighbourhood change, supplemented by new insights from the author's own research and experience as an advisor to local-neighbourhood-renewal strategies. The book is a wide-ranging study with many new examples of the impact of neighbourhood conditions from smoking to dementia.
Jonathan B. Edelmann
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199641543
- eISBN:
- 9780191732232
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199641543.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Hinduism, Religious Studies
Explains the rationale and need for a dialogue between Hinduism and science, while clarifying the specific texts and traditions that will be involved here, as well as the methodology. In addition, it ...
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Explains the rationale and need for a dialogue between Hinduism and science, while clarifying the specific texts and traditions that will be involved here, as well as the methodology. In addition, it addresses the potential benefits and difficulties involved in bringing a Hindu theological tradition into conversation with contemporary science, as well as what the term Hindu theology might mean in today’s context given its ancient and medieval meanings such as mantavya and brahma-jijñāsā. It explains the state of the art in science and religion, arguing for the power of the ‘complexity theory’, and establishes and defines ‘worldview’ as the best lens through which to examine this dialogue.Less
Explains the rationale and need for a dialogue between Hinduism and science, while clarifying the specific texts and traditions that will be involved here, as well as the methodology. In addition, it addresses the potential benefits and difficulties involved in bringing a Hindu theological tradition into conversation with contemporary science, as well as what the term Hindu theology might mean in today’s context given its ancient and medieval meanings such as mantavya and brahma-jijñāsā. It explains the state of the art in science and religion, arguing for the power of the ‘complexity theory’, and establishes and defines ‘worldview’ as the best lens through which to examine this dialogue.
Anat Ninio
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199565962
- eISBN:
- 9780191725616
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199565962.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Developmental Psychology
This book places the syntactic learning process under close scrutiny. The focus of the book is on the characteristics of linguistic input and the resultant output, which, the book shows, do not ...
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This book places the syntactic learning process under close scrutiny. The focus of the book is on the characteristics of linguistic input and the resultant output, which, the book shows, do not necessarily follow the orderly uniform processes assumed by some versions of formalistic linguistic theory. Unique to this book is its reliance on very large English corpora of parental speech and child utterances, revealing surprising new facts about the input and output of syntactic development. Drawing on linguistic theory (the Minimalist Program, grammaticalization), Complexity Theory (Self-Organizing Criticality) and quantitative linguistics (corpus linguistics, Zipf curves), it analyzes the input and output languages both theoretically and empirically, building on the contribution of the different source theories in a detailed and explicit manner.Less
This book places the syntactic learning process under close scrutiny. The focus of the book is on the characteristics of linguistic input and the resultant output, which, the book shows, do not necessarily follow the orderly uniform processes assumed by some versions of formalistic linguistic theory. Unique to this book is its reliance on very large English corpora of parental speech and child utterances, revealing surprising new facts about the input and output of syntactic development. Drawing on linguistic theory (the Minimalist Program, grammaticalization), Complexity Theory (Self-Organizing Criticality) and quantitative linguistics (corpus linguistics, Zipf curves), it analyzes the input and output languages both theoretically and empirically, building on the contribution of the different source theories in a detailed and explicit manner.
