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What is Complexity Science?

Key themes

  • Systems of many inter-linked variables/components
  • Emergent behaviour: not just an obvious scale up of individuals
  • Robustness (under perturbation, damage)
  • Fluctuations and Noise
Common issues
  • Understanding system response
  • Forecasting behaviour
  • Optimising design (cost, performance, robustness ..)
Other angles
  • Large datasets, hidden info (secondary analysis)
  • The cost-benefit of [high degrees of] choice
Boundaries
  • Complicated is not necessarily complex!
  • Problems should need inspiration from outside their field, with prospect to return it.