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  • Textbook
  • © 2013

Complex and Adaptive Dynamical Systems

A Primer

Authors:

  • Course-tested, tutorial presentation at graduate level
  • Contains end-of-chapter exercices and solutions
  • Suitable as modular textbook and for self-study
  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

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Table of contents (9 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xiv
  2. Graph Theory and Small-World Networks

    • Claudius Gros
    Pages 1-40
  3. Chaos, Bifurcations and Diffusion

    • Claudius Gros
    Pages 41-84
  4. Complexity and Information Theory

    • Claudius Gros
    Pages 85-119
  5. Random Boolean Networks

    • Claudius Gros
    Pages 121-155
  6. Synchronization Phenomena

    • Claudius Gros
    Pages 229-255
  7. Elements of Cognitive Systems Theory

    • Claudius Gros
    Pages 257-297
  8. Solutions

    • Claudius Gros
    Pages 299-334
  9. Back Matter

    Pages 335-345

About this book

Complex system theory is rapidly developing and gaining importance, providing tools and concepts central to our modern understanding of emergent phenomena. This primer offers an introduction to this area together with detailed coverage of the mathematics involved.

All calculations are presented step by step and are straightforward to follow. This new third edition comes with new material, figures and exercises.

Network theory, dynamical systems and information theory, the core of modern complex system sciences, are developed in the first three chapters, covering basic concepts and phenomena like small-world networks, bifurcation theory and information entropy.

Further chapters use a modular approach to address the most important concepts in complex system sciences, with the emergence and self-organization playing a central role. Prominent examples are self-organized criticality in adaptive systems, life at the edge of chaos, hypercycles and coevolutionary avalanches, synchronization phenomena, absorbing phase transitions and the cognitive system approach to the brain.

Technical course prerequisites are the standard mathematical tools for an advanced undergraduate course in the natural sciences or engineering. Each chapter comes with exercises and suggestions for further reading - solutions to the exercises are provided in the last chapter.

From the reviews of previous editions:

This is a very interesting introductory book written for a broad audience of graduate students in natural sciences and engineering. It can be equally well used both for teaching and self-education. Very well structured and every topic is illustrated by simple and motivating examples. This is a true guidebook to the world of complex nonlinear phenomena. (Ilya Pavlyukevich, Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 1146, 2008)

"Claudius Gros's Complex and Adaptive Dynamical Systems: A Primer is a welcome addition to the literature. . A particular strength of the book is its emphasis on analytical techniques for studying complex systems. (David P. Feldman, Physics Today, July, 2009)

Reviews

From the reviews of the third edition:

“The textbook reviews several different aspects of the complex systems and mostly focuses on interdisciplinary problems. … At the end of each chapter some exercises are formulated not only for the theoretical study but for the numerical simulation. Each chapter also contains the list of references for further reading. This textbook is an useful introduction to complex and dynamic systems and can be used for a study courses.” (Valeriy N. Tkachenko, zbMATH, Vol. 1278, 2014)

Authors and Affiliations

  • Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany

    Claudius Gros

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 59.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access