Ebook: Modeling Complex Phenomena: Proceedings of the Third Woodward Conference, San Jose State University, April 12–13, 1991

Once upon a time, science was not divided into disciplines as we know it today. There was no distinction between so-called social and natural sciences, not to mention the fragmentation of the latter into physics, chemistry, biology, geology, etc. According to legend, the scientists those days would do their research in whatever environment they happened to find comfortable, which more often than not was in bathtubs or giant hot tubs - remember Archimedes! Then, somehow, these days we find ourselves compartmentalized into different departments in our universities, or divisions in our research institutes. (We suspect, for one thing, that is to ensure that we will get our paychecks delivered on time at the end of each month. ) Anyway, as anyone who has worked in the real world knows: when one is confronted with a completely new problem or phenomenon, it is usually impossible to neatly assign the problem to physics, chemistry, or, for that matter, computer science. One needs to recall and fuse together the knowledge one learned before and, if that alone is insufficient, to consult experts in other areas. This points to the shortcomings of the compartmentalization of knowledge in our educational systems. In recent years, something has changed. Under the banner of Complex Systems, some brave souls are not afraid to tackle problems that are considered intractable by others, and dare to venture out of their trained disciplines or departments to which they are attached.

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The Third Woodward Conference served as a forum for experts in numerous disciplines to discuss problems in modeling complex phenomena in both social and natural sciences. This volume contains both review articles and reports of recent research. Two recurrent themes are chaos and self-organized criticality. Among the topics covered in the volume are: general problems in the modeling of complex systems, such as machine learning of natural languages; nonlinear forecasting, with application, for example, to the arms race; chaotic dynamics and economics; modeling of complex phenomena in fluids; earthquake modeling and self-organized criticality; and mathematical models of complex patterns.

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The Third Woodward Conference served as a forum for experts in numerous disciplines to discuss problems in modeling complex phenomena in both social and natural sciences. This volume contains both review articles and reports of recent research. Two recurrent themes are chaos and self-organized criticality. Among the topics covered in the volume are: general problems in the modeling of complex systems, such as machine learning of natural languages; nonlinear forecasting, with application, for example, to the arms race; chaotic dynamics and economics; modeling of complex phenomena in fluids; earthquake modeling and self-organized criticality; and mathematical models of complex patterns.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xi
A Complex Phenomenon: The Human Mind....Pages 1-2
Front Matter....Pages 3-3
Modeling and Control of Complex Systems: Paradigms and Applications....Pages 5-65
Knowledge and Meaning: Chaos and Complexity....Pages 66-101
Complexity Issues in Robotic Machine Learning of Natural Language....Pages 102-127
Front Matter....Pages 129-129
Nonlinear Forecasting, Chaos and Statistics....Pages 131-152
Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos in Arms Race Models....Pages 153-183
Front Matter....Pages 185-185
Chaotic Dynamics in Economic Equilibrium Theory....Pages 187-199
Chaos and the Foreign Exchange Market....Pages 200-205
Front Matter....Pages 207-207
Earthquakes as a Complex Phenomenon....Pages 209-220
Application of a Mean Field Approximation to Two Systems that Exhibit Self-Organized Criticality....Pages 221-228
Front Matter....Pages 229-229
Modeling the Hydrodynamics of Materials Processing....Pages 231-254
Modeling Complex Phenomena in Fluids....Pages 255-263
Front Matter....Pages 265-265
Consensus in Small and Large Audiences....Pages 267-283
Nonhomogeneous Response of Reaction-Diffusion Systems to Local Perturbations....Pages 284-294
Nonequilibrium Transient Near a Noise-Induced Instability....Pages 295-301
Active Walker Models for Filamentary Growth Patterns....Pages 302-313
Back Matter....Pages 315-315

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The Third Woodward Conference served as a forum for experts in numerous disciplines to discuss problems in modeling complex phenomena in both social and natural sciences. This volume contains both review articles and reports of recent research. Two recurrent themes are chaos and self-organized criticality. Among the topics covered in the volume are: general problems in the modeling of complex systems, such as machine learning of natural languages; nonlinear forecasting, with application, for example, to the arms race; chaotic dynamics and economics; modeling of complex phenomena in fluids; earthquake modeling and self-organized criticality; and mathematical models of complex patterns.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xi
A Complex Phenomenon: The Human Mind....Pages 1-2
Front Matter....Pages 3-3
Modeling and Control of Complex Systems: Paradigms and Applications....Pages 5-65
Knowledge and Meaning: Chaos and Complexity....Pages 66-101
Complexity Issues in Robotic Machine Learning of Natural Language....Pages 102-127
Front Matter....Pages 129-129
Nonlinear Forecasting, Chaos and Statistics....Pages 131-152
Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos in Arms Race Models....Pages 153-183
Front Matter....Pages 185-185
Chaotic Dynamics in Economic Equilibrium Theory....Pages 187-199
Chaos and the Foreign Exchange Market....Pages 200-205
Front Matter....Pages 207-207
Earthquakes as a Complex Phenomenon....Pages 209-220
Application of a Mean Field Approximation to Two Systems that Exhibit Self-Organized Criticality....Pages 221-228
Front Matter....Pages 229-229
Modeling the Hydrodynamics of Materials Processing....Pages 231-254
Modeling Complex Phenomena in Fluids....Pages 255-263
Front Matter....Pages 265-265
Consensus in Small and Large Audiences....Pages 267-283
Nonhomogeneous Response of Reaction-Diffusion Systems to Local Perturbations....Pages 284-294
Nonequilibrium Transient Near a Noise-Induced Instability....Pages 295-301
Active Walker Models for Filamentary Growth Patterns....Pages 302-313
Back Matter....Pages 315-315
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