Description
From physics to information theory and cosmology, from the structure of animal societies to the linguistic analysis of human writing, systems consisting of many interacting constituents often show a collective behaviour not predictable from the interaction of the individual constituents. In More than the Sum of the Parts, Helmut Satz addresses different forms of this complex behaviour, which have been thoroughly investigated only in the past decades. Although these studies originate in physics, the behaviour is found to be universal, ranging from the structure of the early universe to the formation of flocks of birds, and to the frequency of words in literary texts. Complexity is thus becoming an increasingly important interdisciplinary field for future scientific research. In a conceptual and non-technical way, Satz opens up this exciting field for a general readership and those studying any field of the natural sciences.
About the Author
Helmut Satz is Professor Emeritus of Theoretical Physics at the University of Bielefield in Germany and has been with the university since 1971. From 1989-1996, he was Staff Member, European Center for Nuclear Research CERN, Geneva. During his career he has been the author of around 250 scientific papers and books, his most recent being The Rules of the Flock: Self-Organization and Swarm Structure in Animal Societies.
Reviews
Satz explores how an agglomeration of constituents forming a system can demonstrate discordant behavior that does not correspond to expectations. The text features helpful graphic illustrations of important concepts. The exposition is elegant and clear. * N. Sadanand, CHOICE *
Is the whole always equal to the sum of its parts? This slender book by Satz addresses this question with examples from different areas of science. * N. Sadanand, Central Connecticut State University *
The exposition is clear, nice and simple. The arguments are elegantly parsed and as such are fun and entertaining. The author gets one to think. * Larry McLerran, University of Washington *
One of the most delightful, charming, and thought-provoking books I have read in a long time. This field has been emerging for quite some time, but the universality of laws in vastly different systems as prime number distributions, frequencies of earthquakes, or word usage is becoming clear now. And we are just at the beginning of this revolution in the sciences - which may even be applicable to several social phenomena. * Dinesh K. Srivastava, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru, India *
Fascinating and easy to read for beginners, very clear and transparent, fun to read. * Christian Beck, Queen Mary University of London *
The book is oriented to engage a diverse readership interested in new perspectives in physics, presenting an entertaining narrative that explores the enthralling concepts surrounding the field of complexity, concepts that have become integral in shaping our comprehension of the physical world. Particularly, undergraduate, and graduate physics students will benefit from reading it, as it provides a gateway to understanding how complexity principles apply to a multitude of physics problems, effectively opening a new realm of discovery. * Miguel AF Sanjuan, Contemporary Physics, Nov 2023 *
Book Information
ISBN 9780192864178
Author Helmut Satz
Format Hardback
Page Count 160
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 348g
Dimensions(mm) 222mm * 143mm * 9mm
About the Author
Helmut Satz is Professor Emeritus of Theoretical Physics at the University of Bielefield in Germany and has been with the university since 1971. From 1989-1996, he was Staff Member, European Center for Nuclear Research CERN, Geneva. During his career he has been the author of around 250 scientific papers and books, his most recent being The Rules of the Flock: Self-Organization and Swarm Structure in Animal Societies.
Reviews
Satz explores how an agglomeration of constituents forming a system can demonstrate discordant behavior that does not correspond to expectations. The text features helpful graphic illustrations of important concepts. The exposition is elegant and clear. * N. Sadanand, CHOICE *
Is the whole always equal to the sum of its parts? This slender book by Satz addresses this question with examples from different areas of science. * N. Sadanand, Central Connecticut State University *
The exposition is clear, nice and simple. The arguments are elegantly parsed and as such are fun and entertaining. The author gets one to think. * Larry McLerran, University of Washington *
One of the most delightful, charming, and thought-provoking books I have read in a long time. This field has been emerging for quite some time, but the universality of laws in vastly different systems as prime number distributions, frequencies of earthquakes, or word usage is becoming clear now. And we are just at the beginning of this revolution in the sciences - which may even be applicable to several social phenomena. * Dinesh K. Srivastava, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru, India *
Fascinating and easy to read for beginners, very clear and transparent, fun to read. * Christian Beck, Queen Mary University of London *
The book is oriented to engage a diverse readership interested in new perspectives in physics, presenting an entertaining narrative that explores the enthralling concepts surrounding the field of complexity, concepts that have become integral in shaping our comprehension of the physical world. Particularly, undergraduate, and graduate physics students will benefit from reading it, as it provides a gateway to understanding how complexity principles apply to a multitude of physics problems, effectively opening a new realm of discovery. * Miguel AF Sanjuan, Contemporary Physics, Nov 2023 *
Book Information
ISBN 9780192864178
Author Helmut Satz
Format Hardback
Page Count 160
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 348g
Dimensions(mm) 222mm * 143mm * 9mm
