Statistical physics has accustomed us to mathematical descriptions of systems with a large number of components. The thermodynamic properties of ideal gases were understood as early as the end of the 19th century, while those of solids were understood at the beginning of the 20th century. In both cases, two important properties make modeling easy: B These are systems in which all of the compone...

Complex adaptive systems (CAS) exhibit properties beyond complex systems such as self-organization, adaptability and modularity. Designing models of CAS is typically a nontrivial task as many components are made up of subcomponents and rely on a large number of complex interactions. Studying features of these models also requires specific work for each system. Moreover, running these models as ...

Concepts taken from complex systems theory, such as ‘agents’ and ‘attractors’, have been proposed as metaphors in medical practice. This proposal is assessed by a comparison of the notions of complex adaptive systems (CAS) and human complexity. CAS are characterized by the emergence of sophisticated output features of rule-governed non-linear systems. Human complexity is the result of higher me...

We live in a very complex world where we face complex phenomena such as social norms and new technologies. To deal with such phenomena, social scientists often use reductionism approach where they reduce them to some lower-lever variables and model the relationships among them through a scheme of equations. This approach that is called equation based modeling (EBM) has some basic weaknesses in ...

Virtual research collaborations (VRCs) have become an important method of conducting scientific activity; however, they are often regarded and treated as traditional scientific collaborations. Their success is measured by scholarly productivity and adherence to budget by funding agencies, participating scientists, and scholars. VRCs operate in complex environments interacting with other complex...

The realization of Mark Weiser’s vision of ubiquitous computing, of “machines that fit the human environment” (1991), is predicated on large numbers of massively interconnected devices that can move fluidly between the edges and the focus of our perception. The number of potential interactions between these devices, their environment, and the humans within it makes it difficult to design both a...

Complex adaptive systems theory can be distinguished from complex systems theory in terms of the emphasis the former places on self-organizing agents. This paper uses Simon’s hierarchic view of complex systems as adaptive and self-organizing to frame an explanation of complex adaptive systems as ultimately occupied by individuals understood as ‘basic’ agents. What distinguishes ‘basic’ agents f...

disconnects and defects in care – such as duplication, poor integration between services or avoidable adverse events – are costly to the health system and potentially harmful to patients and families. for patients living with multiple chronic conditions, such disconnects can be particularly detrimental. lean is an approach to optimizing value by reducing waste (eg, duplication and defects) and ...