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My favorite books on complex adaptive systems
17
items I have included here classic and newer books that define, describe, and promote the field of complex adaptive systems. I have each of these books in my library and can say they all significantly influenced my thinking about human health as a complex ...
I used to buy this book for all my students. The first 40 pages are the best intro to what a complex system is. Great accessible examples.
Hidden Order: How Adaptation Builds Complexity
I devoured this book when I was in graduate school. A clear and accessible intro to nonlinear dynamic systems. Still have it on my shelf.
Understanding Nonlinear Dynamics
This book is from 1992. However, it captures the excitement and imagination of this new (at the time) field. Still fun to read and a great historical account of the early days of complexity science. Highly recommended.
Complexity: Science at Edge of Order & Chaos
A very nice introduction to complexity science from Dr. Melanie Mitchell who is one of my favorite scientists and authors in this space. Also see her recent book on AI.
Complexity: A Guided Tour
Chaos theory is a component of complex systems, and this book provides a great early history of how this field came to be along with accessible definitions of what it is.
Chaos: Making a New Science
Networks play an important role on understanding complex systems. This book, in its 2nd edition, is written by a University of Michigan physics professor and is a great introduction to the topic.
Networks
A great early introduction to the field of artificial life which is an essential tool for understanding and studying complex systems. This book provides a great history of where the field came from and why it is important.
Artificial Life: Report from Frontier of Computers & Biology
AI is an essential tool for studying complex systems. This is a thoughtful take on AI by one of my favorite scientists and authors. A great perspective with lots of good points that are relevant now and in the future.
Artificial Intelligence
A recent AI book that gives some insights into how algorithms such as deep learning work from more of a mathematics point of view. Well-written.
Why Machines Learn: Elegant Math of AI
Dr. Strogatz is a brilliant mathematician, complexity scientist, and author. This book is in its third edition and is essential for about complexity scientist library.
Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos
Agent-based modeling is a powerful tool for studying and simulating complex systems. I know Dr. Rand personally and he is a top expert in the field. This textbook is well-written and comprehensive with examples in the NetLogo simulation package.
Intro to Agent-Based Modeling with NetLogo
This book really opened my eyes to the power of rewriting rules and generative algorithms for approximating common patterns found in nature.
The Algorithmic Beauty of Plants
This book had a huge effect on my career and the careers of many others who study complex systems. Genetic programming combines principles of evolution by natural selection and computational search to solve complex problems.
Genetic Programming: Programming by Natural Selection
A gentle and accessible introduction to genetic programming. A great place to start for the basics. Written by an expert.
A Field Guide to Genetic Programming
Another great book by John Holland who wrote one of the other books on my list. He was a deep thinker who had a huge effect on the field of complex systems.
Emergence: From Chaos To Order
Another early and accessible introduction to genetic programming written by one of its stars. I hope he writes a second addition!
Genetic Programming: An Introduction
A nice introduction to genetic algorithms by an author I really like and respect.
An Introduction to Genetic Algorithms