The Origins of Order

The Origins of Order PDF Author: Stuart A. Kauffman
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199826676
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 958

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Book Description
Stuart Kauffman here presents a brilliant new paradigm for evolutionary biology, one that extends the basic concepts of Darwinian evolution to accommodate recent findings and perspectives from the fields of biology, physics, chemistry and mathematics. The book drives to the heart of the exciting debate on the origins of life and maintenance of order in complex biological systems. It focuses on the concept of self-organization: the spontaneous emergence of order that is widely observed throughout nature Kauffman argues that self-organization plays an important role in the Darwinian process of natural selection. Yet until now no systematic effort has been made to incorporate the concept of self-organization into evolutionary theory. The construction requirements which permit complex systems to adapt are poorly understood, as is the extent to which selection itself can yield systems able to adapt more successfully. This book explores these themes. It shows how complex systems, contrary to expectations, can spontaneously exhibit stunning degrees of order, and how this order, in turn, is essential for understanding the emergence and development of life on Earth. Topics include the new biotechnology of applied molecular evolution, with its important implications for developing new drugs and vaccines; the balance between order and chaos observed in many naturally occurring systems; new insights concerning the predictive power of statistical mechanics in biology; and other major issues. Indeed, the approaches investigated here may prove to be the new center around which biological science itself will evolve. The work is written for all those interested in the cutting edge of research in the life sciences.

The Origins of Order

The Origins of Order PDF Author: Stuart A. Kauffman
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199826676
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 958

Get Book Here

Book Description
Stuart Kauffman here presents a brilliant new paradigm for evolutionary biology, one that extends the basic concepts of Darwinian evolution to accommodate recent findings and perspectives from the fields of biology, physics, chemistry and mathematics. The book drives to the heart of the exciting debate on the origins of life and maintenance of order in complex biological systems. It focuses on the concept of self-organization: the spontaneous emergence of order that is widely observed throughout nature Kauffman argues that self-organization plays an important role in the Darwinian process of natural selection. Yet until now no systematic effort has been made to incorporate the concept of self-organization into evolutionary theory. The construction requirements which permit complex systems to adapt are poorly understood, as is the extent to which selection itself can yield systems able to adapt more successfully. This book explores these themes. It shows how complex systems, contrary to expectations, can spontaneously exhibit stunning degrees of order, and how this order, in turn, is essential for understanding the emergence and development of life on Earth. Topics include the new biotechnology of applied molecular evolution, with its important implications for developing new drugs and vaccines; the balance between order and chaos observed in many naturally occurring systems; new insights concerning the predictive power of statistical mechanics in biology; and other major issues. Indeed, the approaches investigated here may prove to be the new center around which biological science itself will evolve. The work is written for all those interested in the cutting edge of research in the life sciences.

Life's Ratchet

Life's Ratchet PDF Author: Peter M. Hoffmann
Publisher:
ISBN: 0465022537
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 290

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Book Description
Life, Hoffman argues, emerges from the random motions of atoms filtered through the sophisticated structures of our evolved machinery. People are essentially giant assemblies of interacting nanoscale machines.

Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos

Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos PDF Author: Steven H. Strogatz
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 0429961111
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 532

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Book Description
This textbook is aimed at newcomers to nonlinear dynamics and chaos, especially students taking a first course in the subject. The presentation stresses analytical methods, concrete examples, and geometric intuition. The theory is developed systematically, starting with first-order differential equations and their bifurcations, followed by phase plane analysis, limit cycles and their bifurcations, and culminating with the Lorenz equations, chaos, iterated maps, period doubling, renormalization, fractals, and strange attractors.

Temporal Order

Temporal Order PDF Author: L. Rensing
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642703321
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 336

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Book Description
This volume contains the lectures and contributions presented at the International Symposium on Temporal Order held in Bremen, September 17-22, 1984. Temporal order, such as a more or less regularly repeated temporal sequence of events, can evol ve in open systems far removed from equi 1 i bri um. Progress duri ng the last decade in the analysis and the modelling of this complex phenomenon in both biological and chemical systems gave rise to the idea of a joint conference. The purpose of the symposium was to stimulate future work by enhancing the exchange of experimental and theoretical results between neighbouring disciplines. Theoretical work in general, and mathematical models in particular, provided the basis for a mutual discussion and, thus, helped to overcome difficulties in under standing the results of different experimental fields. Chemical systems, for examp le, are more rigorously controllable through their experimental conditions in com parison to biological systems, which maintain highly effective autonomous control against environmental influences. Therefore, different states such as bistability, oscillations and chaos can be defined and, hence, described better in chemical sy stems. Chemical systems may thus provide some insights into functional structures that also exist in more complex biological systems.

Dimensions and Entropies in Chaotic Systems

Dimensions and Entropies in Chaotic Systems PDF Author: Gottfried Mayer-Kress
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642710018
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 264

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Book Description
These proceedings contain the papers contributed to the International Work shop on "Dimensions and Entropies in Chaotic Systems" at the Pecos River Conference Center on the Pecos River Ranch in Spetember 1985. The work shop was held by the Center for Nonlinear Studies of the Los Alamos National Laboratory. At the Center for Nonlinear Studies the investigation of chaotic dynamics and especially the quantification of complex behavior has a long tradition. In spite of some remarkable successes, there are fundamental, as well as nu merical, problems involved in the practical realization of these algorithms. This has led to a series of publications in which modifications and improve ments of the original methods have been proposed. At present there exists a growing number of competing dimension algorithms but no comprehensive review explaining how they are related. Further, in actual experimental ap plications, rather than a precise algorithm, one finds frequent use of "rules of thumb" together with error estimates which, in many cases, appear to be far too optimistic. Also it seems that questions like "What is the maximal dimension of an attractor that one can measure with a given number of data points and a given experimental resolution?" have still not been answered in a satisfactory manner for general cases.

Nonlinear Dynamics of Chaotic and Stochastic Systems

Nonlinear Dynamics of Chaotic and Stochastic Systems PDF Author: Vadim S. Anishchenko
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3540381686
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 463

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Book Description
We present an improved and enlarged version of our book Nonlinear - namics of Chaotic and Stochastic Systems published by Springer in 2002. Basically, the new edition of the book corresponds to its ?rst version. While preparingthiseditionwemadesomeclari?cationsinseveralsectionsandalso corrected the misprints noticed in some formulas. Besides, three new sections have been added to Chapter 2. They are “Statistical Properties of Dynamical Chaos,” “E?ects of Synchronization in Extended Self-Sustained Oscillatory Systems,” and “Synchronization in Living Systems.” The sections indicated re?ect the most interesting results obtained by the authors after publication of the ?rst edition. We hope that the new edition of the book will be of great interest for a widesectionofreaderswhoarealreadyspecialistsorthosewhoarebeginning research in the ?elds of nonlinear oscillation and wave theory, dynamical chaos, synchronization, and stochastic process theory. Saratov, Berlin, and St. Louis V.S. Anishchenko November 2006 A.B. Neiman T.E. Vadiavasova V.V. Astakhov L. Schimansky-Geier Preface to the First Edition Thisbookisdevotedtotheclassicalbackgroundandtocontemporaryresults on nonlinear dynamics of deterministic and stochastic systems. Considerable attentionisgiventothee?ectsofnoiseonvariousregimesofdynamicsystems with noise-induced order. On the one hand, there exists a rich literature of excellent books on n- linear dynamics and chaos; on the other hand, there are many marvelous monographs and textbooks on the statistical physics of far-from-equilibrium andstochasticprocesses.Thisbookisanattempttocombinetheapproachof nonlinear dynamics based on the deterministic evolution equations with the approach of statistical physics based on stochastic or kinetic equations. One of our main aims is to show the important role of noise in the organization and properties of dynamic regimes of nonlinear dissipative systems.

Propagation in Systems Far from Equilibrium

Propagation in Systems Far from Equilibrium PDF Author: Jose E. Wesfreid
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642738613
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 431

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Book Description
Macroscopic physics provides us with a great variety of pattern-forming systems displaying propagation phenomena, from reactive fronts in combustion, to wavy structures in convection and to shear flow instabilities in hydrodynamics. These proceedings record progress in this rapidly expanding field. The contributions have the following major themes: - The problems of velocity selection and front morphology of propagating interfaces in multiphase media, with emphasis on recent theoretical and experimental results on dendritic crystal growth, Saffman-Taylor fingering, directional solidification and chemical waves. - The "unfolding" of large-scale, low-frequency behavior in weakly confined homogeneous systems driven far from equilibrium, and more specifically, the envelope approach to the mathematical description of textures in different cases: steady cells, propagating waves, structural defects, and phase instabilities. - The implications of the presence of global downstream transport in open flows for the nature, convective or absolute, of shear flow instabilities, with applications to real boundary layer flows or shear layers, as reported in contributions covering experimental situations of fundamental and/or engineering interest.

Synergetics — From Microscopic to Macroscopic Order

Synergetics — From Microscopic to Macroscopic Order PDF Author: E. Frehland
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 364269540X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 265

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Book Description
This volume contains the papers presented at the International Symposium on "Synergetics - From Microscopic to Macroscopic Order", held at the Wissenschafts kolleg z~ Berlin (Institute for Advanced Study Berlin), on July 4-8, 1983. Further more, it contains a contribution of T. Ohta, who unfortunately could not partici pate in this meeting, on the evolution of mUltigene families. The papers discuss the evolution and the function of ordered structures from small microscopic scales up to large macroscopic dimensions. On the one hand, these structures derive from physical or biological systems; on the other hand, they also affect economic, sociological and philosophical questions. I would like to thank the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin for the extraordinary support and hospitality during my one year's stay there as a fellow, which made the planning, preparation and organization of this symposium possible. I would also like to acknowledge the work of B. Fritsch and D. Dorner who actively participated in this undertaking. I am grateful to Professor Haken, the founder of synergetics, whose participation in the planning and styling of the concept of the conference was essential. I am especially thankful to Mrs. U. Monigatti for her indefatigable help with the prep aration and organization of the conference. The financial support was provided by the "Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft". Berlin, November 1983 E. Frehland Contents Some Introductory Remarks on Synergetics By H. Haken ...

The Physics of Structure Formation

The Physics of Structure Formation PDF Author: Werner Güttinger
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642730019
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 439

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Book Description
The formation and evolution of complex dynamical structures is one of the most exciting areas of nonlinear physics. Such pattern formation problems are common in practically all systems involving a large number of interacting components. Here, the basic problem is to understand how competing physical forces can shape stable geometries and to explain why nature prefers just these. Motivation for the intensive study of pattern formation phenomena during the past few years derives from an increasing appreciation of the remarkable diversity of behaviour encountered in nonlinear systems and of universal features shared by entire classes of nonlinear processes. As physics copes with ever more ambi tious problems in pattern formation, summarizing our present state of knowledge becomes a pressing issue. This volume presents an overview of selected topics in this field of current interest. It deals with theoretical models of pattern formation and with simulations that bridge the gap between theory and experiment. The book is a product of the International Symposium on the Physics of Structure Formation, held from October 27 through November 2, 1986, at the Institute for Information Sciences of the University of Tiibingen. The symposium brought together a group of distinguished scientists from various disciplines to exchange ideas about recent advances in pattern formation in the physical sciences, and also to introduce young scientists to the fi

From Chemical to Biological Organization

From Chemical to Biological Organization PDF Author: Mario Markus
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642736882
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 360

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Book Description
Open nonlinear systems are capable of self-organization in space and time. This realization constitutes a major breakthrough of modern science, and is currently at the origin of explosive developments in chemistry, physics and biology. Observations and numerical computations of nonlinear systems surprise us by their inexhaustible and sometimes nonintuitive variety of structures with different shapes and functions. But as well as variety one finds on closer inspection that nonlinear phenomena share universal aspects of pattern formation in time and space. These similarities make it possible to bridge the gap between inanimate and living matter at various levels of complexity, in both theory and experiment. This book is an account of different approaches to the study of this pattern formation. The universality of kinetic, thermodynamic and dimensional approaches is documented through their application to purely mathematical, physical and chemical systems, as well as to systems in nature: biochemical, cellular, multicellular, physiological, neurophysiological, ecological and economic systems. Hints given throughout the book allow the reader to discover how to make use of the principles and methods in different fields of research, including those not treated explicitly in the book.