A renowned mathematician shows how the "science of surprise" can help explain some of the most inexplicable phenomena in science, nature, the arts, the economy, and more.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Most books on complexity theory promise to lead the epistemological thrill-seeker far out on the limb of theory. Not so Casti ( Searching for Certainty ). He admits early on to a major "surprise" about chaos and other formal systems: that even with artificial intelligence as a new tool, theory cannot capture nature. After an almost old-fashioned undergraduate review of basic concepts of dynamical systems, Casti shows how formal complexity models proceed from the basic "surprises." Always more interested in instructing than in dazzling with sensational and obtuse ideas, Casti steers the reader toward an understanding of the field. He's a good teacher and this is the kind of grounding lay readers should have before they step farther out on a new paradigm.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
About the Author
John L. Casti received his Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Southern California in 1970. In 1974, after holding positions at the RAND Corporation and the University of Arizona, he became one of the first research staff members at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Vienna, where he stayed until 1986. Since 1992, he has been a professor and resident researcher at the Santa Fe Institute. He is also a professor at the Technical University of Vienna. The author of numerous books, he divides his time between Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Vienna.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Some interesting points, but very uneven.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Complexification: Explaining a Paradoxical World through the Science of Surprise (Paperback)
While parts of this book were very thought-provoking, too many details were either left out or skimmed over to allow this book to stand alone. For example, the formula the author supplies to calculate the eccentricity of a simplex couldn't possibly produce the results he gives in the adjoining table; some are infinite, and the formula as he states is specifically designed to avoid such results. If you're really interested in catastophe theory or chaos theory, make sure you read this book where you have other reference materials on hand.
6 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good intro to some complex ideas,
By
This review is from: Complexification: Explaining a Paradoxical World through the Science of Surprise (Paperback)
I found this to be an easy to read introduction to current hot topics in science and math. Catastrophe theory, Complexity, Chaos, and emergence. There is also an excellent listing of resources with commentary in the back of the book, called, "to dig deeper". I am an engineer with an MBA, so found a number of the examples very interesting. For the curious, (or less technically adept), this is very well written. Mr. Casti goes quickly from theory to "real world" examples. His illustrations are also very helpful to understanding the basic principles. Most books on complexity contain way too much math for the average reader, or are very simplistic, "Ubiquity" as an example. I think you will find a nice balance here.
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice read,
By peter fairley (ex-pat in Philippines) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Complexification: Explaining a Paradoxical World through the Science of Surprise (Paperback)
Casti says, maxims and aphorisms with opposite meaning can both be true in a complex world. Example, people fall in love because: A. 'birds of a feather flock together'.. B.'opposites attract'. Great exercise for clearing out cobwebs in the mind.
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Inside This Book
(learn more)
First Sentence:
A few years ago I made an extended lecture tour of Japan. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
having complexity greater, logistic rule, whose simplices, connective structure, catastrophe theory, bold play, consolidation time, classical probability theory Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Busy Beaver, Top Down, Classification Theorem, Beer Game, Halting Problem, Reality Rules, Chaitin's Theorem, Redwood City, Cambridge University, New Scientist, Turing-Church Thesis, Alan Turing, Central Park, Chinese Room, Decision Problem, Midsummer Night's Dream, Oxford University Press, Roger Penrose, Kurt Gödel, René Thom, Treasure Hunt, World Scientific, Academic Press, Basil Blackwell New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
A few years ago I made an extended lecture tour of Japan. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
having complexity greater, logistic rule, whose simplices, connective structure, catastrophe theory, bold play, consolidation time, classical probability theory Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Busy Beaver, Top Down, Classification Theorem, Beer Game, Halting Problem, Reality Rules, Chaitin's Theorem, Redwood City, Cambridge University, New Scientist, Turing-Church Thesis, Alan Turing, Central Park, Chinese Room, Decision Problem, Midsummer Night's Dream, Oxford University Press, Roger Penrose, Kurt Gödel, René Thom, Treasure Hunt, World Scientific, Academic Press, Basil Blackwell New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 62
books:
See all 62 books this book cites
- SEARCHING FOR CERTAINTY: What Scientists Can Know About the Future by JOHN L. CASTI on 6 pages
- Reality Rules, The Fundamentals (Wiley Professional: Reality Rules: Picturing the World in Mathematics) by John Casti on 5 pages
- Multidimensional Man by Ron Atkin on 4 pages
- Artificial Life: A Report from the Frontier Where Computers Meet Biology by Steven Levy on page 298, page 301, and page 303
- Infinity and the Mind: The Science and Philosophy of the Infinite (Princeton Science Library) by Rudy Rucker on page 138, page 294, and page 295
See all 62 books this book cites
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