Professor Klaus Mainzer is chair for Philosophy of Science and director of the Institute of Interdisciplinary Informatics at the University of Augsburg. He is chairman of the German Society of Complex Systems and Nonlinear Dynamics, and a member of several national and international interdisciplinary institutions and academies. He is the author of many books with international translations and a member of the editorial boards of several journals.

Cosmic evolution leads from symmetry to complexity by symmetry breaking and phase transitions. The emergence of new order and structure in nature and society is explained by physical, chemical, biological, social and economic self-organization, according to the laws of nonlinear dynamics. All these dynamical systems are considered computational systems processing information and entropy. Are symmetry and complexity only useful models of science or are they universals of reality? Symmetry and Complexity discusses the fascinating insights gained from natural, social and computer sciences, philosophy and the arts. With many diagrams and pictures, this book illustrates the spirit and beauty of nonlinear science. In the complex world of globalization, it strongly argues for unity in diversity.

Contents:

• Symmetry and Complexity in Early Culture and Philosophy
• Symmetry and Complexity in Mathematics
• Symmetry and Complexity in Physical Sciences
• Symmetry and Complexity in Chemical Sciences
• Symmetry and Complexity in Life Sciences
• Symmetry and Complexity in Economic and Social Sciences
• Symmetry and Complexity in Computer Science
• Symmetry and Complexity in Philosophy and Arts

“This outstanding book is a general overview of the notion of symmetry and its many connections to the ideas of complexity ... The book will be especially useful to the intelligent general reader as well as advanced undergraduate students looking for challenging technical problems to solve, reconfigure, or redefine.”