複雑な非線形システムに対するこの30年間における理解の進展は、鳥の群れの動向からインターネット、環境的サスティナビリティ、市場規制まで、多くの研究に影響を及ぼしてきました。流体の流れや天候の予測困難性などの物理系、多様で相互依存的な熱帯雨林の生態系の複雑適応系などを例に、科学的・数学的原理に焦点を当て、主要な要素や概念的枠組みをひもときます。
　　　

• Focuses on the scientific and mathematical principles underlying the science of complexity
• Shows how many processes in nature can be understood using complexity
• Explores a series of examples to highlight and explain the various types of complex systems
• Includes examples from the physical and biological sciences, as well as the applications in economics and management

  
The importance of complexity is well-captured by Hawking's comment: "Complexity is the science of the 21st century". From the movement of flocks of birds to the Internet, environmental sustainability, and market regulation, the study and understanding of complex non-linear systems has become highly influential over the last 30 years.
 
In this Very Short Introduction, one of the leading figures in the field, John Holland, introduces the key elements and conceptual framework of complexity. From complex physical systems such as fluid flow and the difficulties of predicting weather, to complex adaptive systems such as the highly diverse and interdependent ecosystems of rainforests, he combines simple, well-known examples — Adam Smith's pin factory, Darwin's comet orchid, and Simon's 'watchmaker' — with an account of the approaches, involving agents and urn models, taken by complexity theory.