Summary Assignment!
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manson_2001_simplifying_complexity_worksheet.docx
08 - Manson (2001) Simplifying Complexity
• What are the three divisions of complexity theory and what do they deal with/concern?
• Algorithmic complexity – the complexity of a system lies in the difficulty faced in describing system characteristics
• Deterministic complexity – deals with chaos theory and catastrophe theory, which posit that the interaction of two or three key variables can create largely stable systems prone to sudden discontinuities
• Aggregate complexity – concerns how individual elements work in concert to create systems with complex behavior
• What are the three ways complexity theory is different from systems theory?
• CT concerns non-linear relationships between constantly changing entities
• CT examines qualitative characteristics such as the symbolic characteristic of communication
• CT how complex behavior evolves from relatively simple local interactions between system components over time.
• Write a paragraph about the similarities between the three divisions of complexity theory and the three ways complexity theory is different from systems theory. Can you suggest a single definition of complexity theory?
• All of these have to do with similar ideas: (qualitative) characteristics, interactions, work in concert, evolution (complex behavior).
• These all suggest that a complex system is made up of many parts that all work together in constantly changing ways.
• A complex system cannot be seen only as a collection of individual parts, because this does not include how the parts interact.
• A complex system cannot be seen only as a collection of interactions because this does not include the parts themselves.
• A complex system cannot be seen only as a set of changes because this leaves out the individual parts and their interactions.
• A complex system is thus everything that happens within a certain collection of individual parts, the interactions among these parts, and the changes that occur both to the parts, the interactions, and to the entire system as well.
