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SYMMETRY AND COMPLEXITY
The Spirit and Beauty of Nonlinear Science
by Klaus Mainzer (University of Augsburg, Germany)
About the AuthorProfessor 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.
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