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Zusatztext "Mean-field approaches constitute an elegant and considerable contribution to complex systems studies, and I commend Sole for his rigorous presentation." ---Lael Parrott, BioScience Informationen zum Autor Ricard V. Solé Klappentext "This ambitious book provides an elegant and much-needed synthesis to many of the ideas that have come to define the field of complex systems and their applications to nature and society. It makes an important contribution to the field, especially for researchers and students looking for an overview of the literature and entry points for research." --Luis Bettencourt, Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Santa Fe Institute "This clear and easy-to-follow book is a valuable compilation of systems showing phase transition phenomena that have become more and more important in understanding natural and man-made complex systems. It is a useful addition to the already existing literature." --Stefan Thurner, Medical University of Vienna Zusammenfassung Exploring the origins and implications of sudden changes in nature and society, this title examines different dynamical behaviors in a range of complex systems. Using a set of examples, from gene networks and ant colonies to human language and the degradation of diverse ecosystems, it reveals how phase transitions occur. Inhaltsverzeichnis Preface xi Chapter 1. Phase Changes 1 1.1 Complexity 1 1.2 Phase diagrams 4 1.3 Interactions make a difference 7 1.4 The Ising model: From micro to macro 11 1.5 Monte Carlo simulation 13 1.6 Scaling and universality 17 1.7 Mean field Ising model 18 1.8 Nonequilibrium transitions 23 Chapter 2. Stability and Instability 25 2.1 Dynamical systems 25 2.2 Attractors 27 2.3 Nonlinear dynamics 30 2.4 Linear stability analysis 33 Chapter 3. Bifurcations and Catastrophes 37 3.1 Qualitative changes 37 3.2 Symmetry breaking 38 3.3 Catastrophes and breakpoints 43 3.4 Critical slowing down 49 3.5 Multiple broken symmetries 51 Chapter 4. Percolation 53 4.1 Systems are connected 53 4.2 Percolation thresholds 54 4.3 Percolation is widespread 57 4.4 Bethe lattices 59 Chapter 5. Random Graphs 63 5.1 The Erdos-Renyi model 63 5.2 Statistical patterns 64 5.3 Percolation at critical connectivity 65 5.4 Real networks are heterogeneous 68 Chapter 6. Life Origins 70 6.1 Prebiotic evolution 70 6.2 Replicators and reproducers 71 6.3 Autocatalysis and cooperation 72 6.4 Prebiotic reaction networks 75 Chapter 7. Virus Dynamics 78 7.1 Molecular parasites 78 7.2 Exploring the hypercube 80 7.3 Swetina-Schuster quasispecies model 84 7.4 Critical genome size 87 7.5 Beyond the threshold 88 Chapter 8. Cell Structure 91 8.1 The architecture of cells 91 8.2 States and transitions 94 8.3 Dynamical instability model 95 8.4 Tensegrity 97 Chapter 9. Epidemic Spreading 99 9.1 Spreading diseases 99 9.2 SIS model 102 9.3 Vaccination thresholds 105 9.4 Pathogens and networks 107 Chapter 10. Gene Networks 109 10.1 Genes and cell types 109 10.2 Boolean dynamics 112 10.3 Percolation analysis 113 10.4 Is cell dynamics Boolean? 118 Chapter 11. Cancer Dynamics 120 11.1 Abnormal growth 120 11.2 Tumor decay under immune attack 122 11.3 Thresholds in cancer instability 128 11.4 Cancer as an evolving system 132 Chapter 12. Ecological Shifts 134 12.1 Change in ecology 134 12.2 Green-desert transitions 136 12.3 Continuous transitions 138 12.4 Sudden shifts 140 12.5 Metapopulation dynamics 143 12.6 Warning signals 146 Chapter 13. Information and Traffic Jams 148 13.1 Internet and computer networks 148 13.2 Mean field model of traffic flow 150 13.3 Fluid flow and congestion explosion 152 13.4 Self-regulated traffic 154 Chapter 14. Collective Intelligence 157 14.1 Swarm behavior 157 14.2 Foraging and broken symmetry 159 14.3 Order-disorder transition...
