This volume of the “Encyclopedia of Complexity and Systems Science, Second Edition” (ECSS), introduces the fundamental physical and mathematical concepts underlying the theory of complex physical, chemical, and biological systems. Numerous applications illustrate how these concepts explain observed phenomena in our daily lives, which range from spatio-temporal patterns in fluids from atmospheric turbulence in hurricanes and tornadoes to feedback dynamics of laser intensity to structures in cities and rhythms in the brain. The spontaneous formation of well-organized structures out of microscopic system components and their interactions is one of the most fascinating and challenging phenomena for scientists to understand. Biological systems may also exhibit organized structures emanating from interactions of cells and their networks. For instance, underlying structures in the brain emerge as certain mental states, the ability to coordinate movement, or pathologies such as tremor or epileptic seizures. When we try to explain or understand these extremely complex biological phenomena, it is natural to ask whether analogous processes of self-organization may be found in much simpler systems of the inanimate world. In recent decades, it has become increasingly evident that there exist numerous examples in physical and chemical systems in which well-organized spatio-temporal structures arise out of disordered states. As in living organisms, the functioning of these systems can be maintained only by a flux of energy (and matter) through them. Synergetics combines elements from physics and mathematics to explain how a diversity of systems obey the same basic principles. All chapters in this volume have been thoroughly revised and updated from the first edition of ECSS. The second edition also includes new or expanded coverage of such topics as chaotic dynamics in laser systems and neurons, novel insights into the relation of classical chaos and quantum dynamics, and how noise in the brain tunes observed neural activity and controls animal and human behavior.  

The book offers a novel approach to the study of the complex dynamics of cities. It is based on (1) Synergetics as a science of cooperation and selforganization, (2) information theory including semantic and pragmatic aspects, and optimization principles, (3) a theory of steady state maintenance, and of (4) phase transition, i.e. qualitative changes of structure or behavior.

From this novel theoretical vantage point, the book addresses particularly three issues that stand at the core of current discourse on cities: Urban Scaling, Smart Cities and City Planning.

This monograph demonstrates the interplay between Shannon information and semantic information in cognition. It shows that Shannon’s information acts as driving force for the formation of semantic information; and vice versa, namely, that semantic information participates in the formation of Shannonian information. The authors show that in cognition, Shannonian and semantic information are interrelated as two aspects of a cognitive process termed as information adaptation. In the latter the mind/brain adapts to the environment by the deflating and/or inflating of the information conveyed by the environment. In the process of information adaptation, quantitative variations in Shannon’s information entail different meanings while different meanings affect the quantity of information. The book illustrates the above conceptually and mathematically by reference to three cognitive processes: pattern recognition, face learning and the recognition of a moving object.

Molekülphysik und Quantenchemie führt systematisch und leicht zugänglich in die Grundlagen der beiden Gebiete ein, wie es zum Verständnis der physikalischen Eigenschaften von Molekülen und der chemischen Bindung erforderlich ist. Aufbauend auf Grundkenntnissen aus der Atom- und Quantenphysik (von den gleichen Autoren) vermittelt es den Studenten der Physik, der Physikalischen Chemie und der Theoretischen Chemie die experimentellen und theoretischen Grundlagen und deren Wechselwirkung. Die vorliegende fünfte Auflage wurde um wesentliche aktuelle Entwicklungen experimenteller Methoden und theoretischer Ansätze erweitert. Neu: Abschnitte zu Molekularen Funktionseinheiten, zu Optischer Spektroskopie und Elektrolumineszenz. Durchgehende überarbeitete Neuauflage. 133 Aufgaben vervollständigen das Buch. Die dazugehörigen Lösungen können im Internet abgerufen werden.

Brain Dynamics serves to introduce graduate students and nonspecialists from various backgrounds to the field of mathematical and computational neurosciences. Some of the advanced chapters will also be of interest to the specialists. The book approaches the subject through pulse-coupled neural networks, with at their core the lighthouse and integrate-and-fire models, which allow for the highly flexible modelling of realistic synaptic activity, synchronization and spatio-temporal pattern formation. Topics also include pulse-averaged equations and their application to movement coordination. The book closes with a short analysis of models versus the real neurophysiological system.The second edition has been thoroughly updated and augmented by two extensive chapters that discuss the interplay between pattern recognition and synchronization. Further, to enhance the usefulness as textbook and for self-study, the detailed solutions for all 34 exercises throughout the text have been added.

This volume of the “Encyclopedia of Complexity and Systems Science, Second Edition” (ECSS), introduces the fundamental physical and mathematical concepts underlying the theory of complex physical, chemical, and biological systems. Numerous applications illustrate how these concepts explain observed phenomena in our daily lives, which range from spatio-temporal patterns in fluids from atmospheric turbulence in hurricanes and tornadoes to feedback dynamics of laser intensity to structures in cities and rhythms in the brain. The spontaneous formation of well-organized structures out of microscopic system components and their interactions is one of the most fascinating and challenging phenomena for scientists to understand. Biological systems may also exhibit organized structures emanating from interactions of cells and their networks. For instance, underlying structures in the brain emerge as certain mental states, the ability to coordinate movement, or pathologies such as tremor or epileptic seizures. When we try to explain or understand these extremely complex biological phenomena, it is natural to ask whether analogous processes of self-organization may be found in much simpler systems of the inanimate world. In recent decades, it has become increasingly evident that there exist numerous examples in physical and chemical systems in which well-organized spatio-temporal structures arise out of disordered states. As in living organisms, the functioning of these systems can be maintained only by a flux of energy (and matter) through them. Synergetics combines elements from physics and mathematics to explain how a diversity of systems obey the same basic principles. All chapters in this volume have been thoroughly revised and updated from the first edition of ECSS. The second edition also includes new or expanded coverage of such topics as chaotic dynamics in laser systems and neurons, novel insights into the relation of classical chaos and quantum dynamics, and how noise in the brain tunes observed neural activity and controls animal and human behavior.  

The book offers a novel approach to the study of the complex dynamics of cities. It is based on (1) Synergetics as a science of cooperation and selforganization, (2) information theory including semantic and pragmatic aspects, and optimization principles, (3) a theory of steady state maintenance, and of (4) phase transition, i.e. qualitative changes of structure or behavior.

From this novel theoretical vantage point, the book addresses particularly three issues that stand at the core of current discourse on cities: Urban Scaling, Smart Cities and City Planning.

This monograph demonstrates the interplay between Shannon information and semantic information in cognition. It shows that Shannon’s information acts as driving force for the formation of semantic information; and vice versa, namely, that semantic information participates in the formation of Shannonian information. The authors show that in cognition, Shannonian and semantic information are interrelated as two aspects of a cognitive process termed as information adaptation. In the latter the mind/brain adapts to the environment by the deflating and/or inflating of the information conveyed by the environment. In the process of information adaptation, quantitative variations in Shannon’s information entail different meanings while different meanings affect the quantity of information. The book illustrates the above conceptually and mathematically by reference to three cognitive processes: pattern recognition, face learning and the recognition of a moving object.

Molekülphysik und Quantenchemie führt systematisch und leicht zugänglich in die Grundlagen der beiden Gebiete ein, wie es zum Verständnis der physikalischen Eigenschaften von Molekülen und der chemischen Bindung erforderlich ist. Aufbauend auf Grundkenntnissen aus der Atom- und Quantenphysik (von den gleichen Autoren) vermittelt es den Studenten der Physik, der Physikalischen Chemie und der Theoretischen Chemie die experimentellen und theoretischen Grundlagen und deren Wechselwirkung. Die vorliegende fünfte Auflage wurde um wesentliche aktuelle Entwicklungen experimenteller Methoden und theoretischer Ansätze erweitert. Neu: Abschnitte zu Molekularen Funktionseinheiten, zu Optischer Spektroskopie und Elektrolumineszenz. Durchgehende überarbeitete Neuauflage. 133 Aufgaben vervollständigen das Buch. Die dazugehörigen Lösungen können im Internet abgerufen werden.

Brain Dynamics serves to introduce graduate students and nonspecialists from various backgrounds to the field of mathematical and computational neurosciences. Some of the advanced chapters will also be of interest to the specialists. The book approaches the subject through pulse-coupled neural networks, with at their core the lighthouse and integrate-and-fire models, which allow for the highly flexible modelling of realistic synaptic activity, synchronization and spatio-temporal pattern formation. Topics also include pulse-averaged equations and their application to movement coordination. The book closes with a short analysis of models versus the real neurophysiological system.The second edition has been thoroughly updated and augmented by two extensive chapters that discuss the interplay between pattern recognition and synchronization. Further, to enhance the usefulness as textbook and for self-study, the detailed solutions for all 34 exercises throughout the text have been added.