Foundation for Establishing NSE: Complexity Science

This chapter introduces the foundation for establishing NSE – complexity science. Complexity science is the scientific study of nonlinear, dynamic, complex systems and the process of self-organization. Complexity science is the driving force for the development of sciences, engineering, and business in the twenty-first century. Complexity science explains how holism emerges in the world, and more. It is the intellectual successor to systems theory and chaos theory. Complexity science is a field derived from multiple disciplines – physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics. Definitions of complexity are often tied to the concept of a complex system – something with many parts that interact to produce results that cannot be explained by simply specifying the role of each part. This concept contrasts with traditional machine or Newtonian constructs, which assume that all parts of a system can be known, that detailed planning produces predictable results, and that information flows along a predetermined path. Elements of complexity theory have been incorporated into a number of fields including genetics, immunology, cognitive science, economics, computer science, and linguistics. Currently, the most robust research in complexity science involves the study of inanimate systems such as computer networks and hydrodynamic systems as well as certain cellular networks (Ashok M. Patel, M.D., Thoralf M. Sundt III, M.D., and Prathibha Varkey, M.D., Complexity Science – Core Concepts and Applications for Medical Practice, http://www.minnesotamedicine.com/PastIssues/February2008/ClinicalFebruary2008/tabid/2462/Default.aspx); [Ber 76], [Sar06].