文档介绍:FOUNDATIONS OF
COMPLEX SYSTEMS
Nonlinear Dynamics, Statistical Physics, Information
and Prediction
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FOUNDATIONS OF
COMPLEX SYSTEMS
Nonlinear Dynamics, Statistical Physics, Information
and Prediction
Gregoire Nicolis
University of Brussels, Belgium
Catherine Nicolis
Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium, Belgium
vp World Scientific
-
NEW JERSEY LONDON * SINGAPORE * BElJlNG SHANGHAI * HONG KONG * TAIPEI * CHENNAI
Published by
World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.
5 Toh Tuck Link, Singapore 596224
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UK office: 57 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9HE
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
FOUNDATIONS PLEX SYSTEMS
Nonlinear Dynamics, Statistical Physics, Information and Prediction
Copyright © 2007 by World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.
All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval
system now known or to be invented, without written permission from the Publisher.
For photocopying of material in this volume, please pay a copying fee through the Copyright
Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. In this case permission to
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ISBN-13 978-981-270-043-8
ISBN-10 981-270-043-9
Printed in Singapore.
To Helen, Stamatis and little Katy
v
Preface
Complexity became a major scientific field in its own right as recently as 15
years ago, and since then it has modified considerably the scientific land-
scape through thousands of high-impact publications as well as through the
creation of specialized journals, Institutes, learned societies and University
chairs devoted specifically to it. It constitutes today