Re: Heterogenous Complex Systems

From: Richard Loosemore (rpwl@lightlink.com)
Date: Fri Sep 09 2005 - 19:38:03 MDT


Phil Goetz wrote:
>>Your car, alas, is also not a Complex System.
>
>
> It isn't - not nearly enough parts. But this raises the
> question: Complex systems research studies only homogenous
> systems, in which each part is nearly the same as every other part.
> Do any of its results apply to heterogenous complex systems,
> in which every part is different?
>
> Not that I can think of any good examples of heterogenous
> complex systems.
>
> - Phil
>

They can be heterogeneous, I guess ..... it's just that the more
important thing is the "large number of interacting *adaptive* things"
requirement. It's the adaptivity and large numbers that seem crucial.

Don't forget: CAS people *observe* this class of systems, they don't
define it in a restrictive way. They themselves are trying to figure
out what the essential (necessary) characteristics are, but there is no
hard and fast boundary. It's just that CAS systems have certain
global-local isolation properties.

This is not supposed to be my definitive explanation of what Complex
system is BTW, just an observation on your point.

Richard Loosemore



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