Simplicity in Complexity

Simplicity in Complexity PDF Author: Rajesh R. Parwani
Publisher: Simplicity Research Institute
ISBN: 9810939337
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 141

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Book Description
How do scientists model crowd behaviour, epidemics, earthquakes or the internet? What can we learn from the collective intelligence and adaptability of an ant colony? This book answers such questions by highlighting common themes in the study of complex systems. Topics covered include self-organisation, emergence, agent-based simulations, complex networks, phase plane plots, fractals, chaos, measures of complexity, model building, and the scientific method. Explanations are simple and concise, with common misconceptions clarified. Numerous exercises help enthusiasts consolidate their understanding through peer learning. Supplementary resources are at the companion websites www.simplicitysg.net/books and www.facebook.com/simcomty.

Simplicity in Complexity

Simplicity in Complexity PDF Author: Rajesh R. Parwani
Publisher: Simplicity Research Institute
ISBN: 9810939337
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 141

Get Book Here

Book Description
How do scientists model crowd behaviour, epidemics, earthquakes or the internet? What can we learn from the collective intelligence and adaptability of an ant colony? This book answers such questions by highlighting common themes in the study of complex systems. Topics covered include self-organisation, emergence, agent-based simulations, complex networks, phase plane plots, fractals, chaos, measures of complexity, model building, and the scientific method. Explanations are simple and concise, with common misconceptions clarified. Numerous exercises help enthusiasts consolidate their understanding through peer learning. Supplementary resources are at the companion websites www.simplicitysg.net/books and www.facebook.com/simcomty.

Simplicity and Complexity in Games of the Intellect

Simplicity and Complexity in Games of the Intellect PDF Author: Lawrence B. Slobodkin
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 9780674808256
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 280

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Book Description
"If it were necessary, for some curious legal reason, to draw a clear line between human and nonhuman--for example, if a group of australopithecines were to appear and one had to decide if they were to be protected by Fair Employment Laws or by the ASPCA--I would welcome them as humans if I knew that they were seriously concerned about how to bury their dead." In this witty and wise way, Lawrence Slobodkin takes us on a spirited quest for the multiple meanings of simplicity in all facets of life. Slobodkin begins at the beginning, with a consideration of how simplicity came into play in the development of religious doctrines. He nimbly moves on to the arts--where he ranges freely from dining to painting--and then focuses more sharply on the role of simplicity in science. Here we witness the historical beginnings of modern science as a search for the fewest number of terms, the smallest number of assumptions, or the lowest exponents, while still meeting criteria for descriptive accuracy. The result may be an elegant hypothetical system that generates the apparent world from less apparent assumptions, as with the Newtonian revolution; or it may mean deducing non-obvious processes from everyday facts, as with the Darwinian revolution. Slobodkin proposes that the best intellectual work is done as if it were a game on a simplified playing field. He supplies serious arguments for considering the role of simplification and playfulness in all of our activities. The immediate effect of his unfailingly captivating essay is to throw open a new window on the world and to refresh our perspectives on matters of the heart and mind.

Deep Simplicity

Deep Simplicity PDF Author: John Gribbin
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 0141042214
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 451

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Book Description
'Gribbin takes us through the basics with his customary talent for accessibility and clarity' Sunday Times The world around us can be a complex, confusing place. Earthquakes happen without warning, stock markets fluctuate, weather forecasters seldom seem to get it right - even other people continue to baffle us. How do we make sense of it all? In fact, John Gribbin reveals, our seemingly random universe is actually built on simple laws of cause and effect that can explain why, for example, just one vehicle braking can cause a traffic jam; why wild storms result from a slight atmospheric change; even how we evolved from the most basic materials. Like a zen painting, a fractal image or the pattern on a butterfly's wings, simple elements form the bedrock of a sophisticated whole. Synthesizing chaos and complexity theory for the perplexed, Deep Simplicity brilliantly illuminates the harmony underlying our existence.

Complexity / Simplicity

Complexity / Simplicity PDF Author: Sarah Cardwell
Publisher: Television
ISBN: 9781526148759
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
This collection interrogates the concept of complex TV, and reappraises the value of simplicity in TV, with reference to a range of television programming, including episodic series and serial dramas, sitcoms, science-fiction, animation, horror, thrillers and period dramas.

The Laws of Simplicity

The Laws of Simplicity PDF Author: John Maeda
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262260956
Category : Design
Languages : en
Pages : 129

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Book Description
Ten laws of simplicity for business, technology, and design that teach us how to need less but get more. Finally, we are learning that simplicity equals sanity. We're rebelling against technology that's too complicated, DVD players with too many menus, and software accompanied by 75-megabyte "read me" manuals. The iPod's clean gadgetry has made simplicity hip. But sometimes we find ourselves caught up in the simplicity paradox: we want something that's simple and easy to use, but also does all the complex things we might ever want it to do. In The Laws of Simplicity, John Maeda offers ten laws for balancing simplicity and complexity in business, technology, and design—guidelines for needing less and actually getting more. Maeda—a professor in MIT's Media Lab and a world-renowned graphic designer—explores the question of how we can redefine the notion of "improved" so that it doesn't always mean something more, something added on. Maeda's first law of simplicity is "Reduce." It's not necessarily beneficial to add technology features just because we can. And the features that we do have must be organized (Law 2) in a sensible hierarchy so users aren't distracted by features and functions they don't need. But simplicity is not less just for the sake of less. Skip ahead to Law 9: "Failure: Accept the fact that some things can never be made simple." Maeda's concise guide to simplicity in the digital age shows us how this idea can be a cornerstone of organizations and their products—how it can drive both business and technology. We can learn to simplify without sacrificing comfort and meaning, and we can achieve the balance described in Law 10. This law, which Maeda calls "The One," tells us: "Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful."

Managing Complexity of Information Systems

Managing Complexity of Information Systems PDF Author: Pirmin P. Lemberger
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 111856605X
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 168

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Book Description
This book is about complexity in Information Systems (IS). The subject is addressed from both conceptual and applied perspectives. Concepts are drawn from information theory, industrial design and software engineering. Its content capitalizes on experiences gathered by the authors during various contracting jobs involving software architecture, modeling and IS architecture that were conducted for large organizations in the banking and industry sectors, as well as in the public sector. The authors develop the point of view according to which mastering complexity involves two essential steps: first, one should develop a clear understanding of the real nature of complexity within the IS; second, one should identify the primary causes which contribute to its uncontrolled growth and organize these into a logical framework, in order to define efficient countermeasures. Both technical and psychological causes of complexity are to be considered. Two themes make up the main thread of the book: complexity and value. Both themes are quite common when considered separately, but their interplay remains a largely unexplored topic. The analysis of this interplay is one of the sources of originality of this book.

Environmental Modelling

Environmental Modelling PDF Author: John Wainwright
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 9780471496182
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 434

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Book Description
Publisher Description

Living with Complexity

Living with Complexity PDF Author: Donald A. Norman
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262528940
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 309

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Book Description
Why we don't really want simplicity, and how we can learn to live with complexity. If only today's technology were simpler! It's the universal lament, but it's wrong. In this provocative and informative book, Don Norman writes that the complexity of our technology must mirror the complexity and richness of our lives. It's not complexity that's the problem, it's bad design. Bad design complicates things unnecessarily and confuses us. Good design can tame complexity. Norman gives us a crash course in the virtues of complexity. Designers have to produce things that tame complexity. But we too have to do our part: we have to take the time to learn the structure and practice the skills. This is how we mastered reading and writing, driving a car, and playing sports, and this is how we can master our complex tools. Complexity is good. Simplicity is misleading. The good life is complex, rich, and rewarding—but only if it is understandable, sensible, and meaningful.

Linguistic Simplicity and Complexity

Linguistic Simplicity and Complexity PDF Author: John H. McWhorter
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
ISBN: 1934078379
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 353

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Book Description
This series offers a wide forum for work on contact linguistics, using an integrated approach to both diachronic and synchronic manifestations of contact, ranging from social and individual aspects to structural-typological issues. Topics covered by the series include child and adult bilingualism and multilingualism, contact languages, borrowing and contact-induced typological change, code switching in conversation, societal multilingualism, bilingual language processing, and various other topics related to language contact. The series does not have a fixed theoretical orientation, and includes contributions from a variety of approaches.

From Complexity to Simplicity

From Complexity to Simplicity PDF Author: S. Collinson
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN: 9781349434954
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
Complexity is slowing companies down, costing them on average 10% of their profits. Based on cutting-edge research, this practical 'how to' guide will show businesses how to remove complexity to boost profits and morale.