Self-organized criticality (SOC) maintains that complex behavior can develop spontaneously in certain multi-body systems whose dynamics vary abruptly. This is a clear and concise introduction to the field of self-organized criticality, and contains an overview of the main research results. The author begins with an examination of what is meant by SOC, and the systems in which it can occur. He then presents and analyzes computer models to describe a number of systems, explaining the different mathematical formalisms developed to understand SOC. The final chapter assesses the impact of this field of study, and highlights some key areas of new research. The author assumes no previous knowledge of the field, and the book contains several exercises. It will be ideal as a textbook for graduate students taking physics, engineering, or mathematical biology courses in nonlinear science or complexity.
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"...describes clearly and concisely the basic ideas and the experimental evidence...and then balances the evidence and argues, in a soft voice and a mild manner, that SOC is a good idea and is at least worth looking into. And it is hard to disagree, when the proposal is stated in such gracious and intelligent terms...This book overall is eminently pleasing to read." Physics Today
Book Description
Self-organized criticality (SOC) is based upon the idea that complex behavior can develop spontaneously in certain multi-body systems whose dynamics vary abruptly. This book is a clear and concise introduction to the field of self-organized criticality, and contains an overview of the main research results. The author presents and analyzes computer models to describe a number of systems, and he explains the different mathematical formalisms developed to understand SOC. The final chapter assesses the impact of this field of study, and highlights some key areas of new research.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A GOOD FORMAL INTRODUCTION TO SELF ORGANIZED CRITICALITY.,
By Paulo (paulovol@convex.com.br) (Brazil) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Self-Organized Criticality: Emergent Complex Behavior in Physical and Biological Systems (Cambridge Lecture Notes in Physics) (Paperback)
This book is the first attempt to condense in a single text a mathematical introduction to the emergent field of self organized criticality (SOC). The author describes the main general ideas of SOC in the first two chapters. In the third chapter there are a presentation of some systems that can exhibit SOC. The fourth chapter is a presentation and a study of "toy models" in the spirit of SOC. The fifth chapter is about the search of a general mathematical formalism for SOC, which is still an open question. The author presents in this chapter some formalisms developed to explain SOC. In the last chapter, the author discusses essentialy to what extent we can observe SOC behaviour in real systems. There are five appendices, and the first three of these appendices present FORTRAN codes for three distinct toy models. I did not rate this book as five stars because in my opinion the author is very concise in some parts of the text. But this is a good book, and can be recommended to all those interested in the field of self organized criticality.
24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent and honest,
This review is from: Self-Organized Criticality: Emergent Complex Behavior in Physical and Biological Systems (Cambridge Lecture Notes in Physics) (Paperback)
This book deserves 5 stars because it gives crystal-clear, precise, brutally honest and unbiased coverage of what "Self-Organized Criticality" is and what it is not. Don't waste your time reading Bak's book, read this one instead.
0 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good introduction to Self Organized Criticality,
By A Customer
This review is from: Self-Organized Criticality: Emergent Complex Behavior in Physical and Biological Systems (Cambridge Lecture Notes in Physics) (Paperback)
From the caracteristics of systems exhibiting SOC to their simulation and modelling as well as many classical and new examples of SOC systems.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
Consider a collection of electrons, or a pile of sand grains, a bucket of fluid, an elastic network of springs, an ecosystem, or the community of stock-market dealers. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
overcritical site, random neighbor version, avalanche lifetimes, nonconservative models, sandpile cellular automaton, forest fire model, avalanche size distribution, avalanche signals, individual avalanches, avalanche sizes, sandpile model, smallest barriers, recurrent configurations, large avalanches, small avalanches, attractive fixed point, unstable site, superconducting electrons, neighbor sites, updating algorithm, neighbor model, pinning centers, pinning forces, lattice gas, threshold dynamics New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Consider a collection of electrons, or a pile of sand grains, a bucket of fluid, an elastic network of springs, an ecosystem, or the community of stock-market dealers. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
overcritical site, random neighbor version, avalanche lifetimes, nonconservative models, sandpile cellular automaton, forest fire model, avalanche size distribution, avalanche signals, individual avalanches, avalanche sizes, sandpile model, smallest barriers, recurrent configurations, large avalanches, small avalanches, attractive fixed point, unstable site, superconducting electrons, neighbor sites, updating algorithm, neighbor model, pinning centers, pinning forces, lattice gas, threshold dynamics 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 18
books:
See all 18 books this book cites
4
books
cite this book:
- Spontaneous Formation of Space-Time Structures and Criticality (NATO Science Series C: (closed)) by T. Riste in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Black Hole Uniqueness Theorems (Cambridge Lecture Notes in Physics) by Markus Heusler in Front Matter
- Elementary Differential Equations and Boundary Value Problems , 8th Edition, with ODE Architect CD by William E. Boyce in Back Matter
- The Analysis of Space-Time Singularities (Cambridge Lecture Notes in Physics) by C. J. S. Clarke in Front Matter
- Modern Cosmology and the Dark Matter Problem (Cambridge Lecture Notes in Physics) by D. W. Sciama in Front Matter
See all 18 books this book cites
- Nonequilibrium Phenomena in Plasmas (Astrophysics and Space Science Library) by A. Surjalal Sharma on page 18, and page 192
- Autonomy Oriented Computing: From Problem Solving to Complex Systems Modeling (Multiagent Systems, Artificial Societies, and Simulated Organizations) by Jiming Liu in Back Matter
- Chaos and Nonlinear Dynamics: An Introduction for Scientists and Engineers by Robert Hilborn in Back Matter
- Extending Ourselves: Computational Science, Empiricism, and Scientific Method by Paul Humphreys in Back Matter
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