This book provides a self-contained presentation of the physical and mathematical laws governing complex systems. Complex systems arising in natural, engineering, environmental, life and social sciences are approached from a unifying point of view using an array of methodologies such as microscopic and macroscopic level formulations, deterministic and probabilistic tools, modeling and simulation. The book can be used as a textbook by graduate students, researchers and teachers in science, as well as non- experts who wish to have an overview of one of the most open, markedly interdisciplinary and fast-growing branches of present-day science.

viii blems as the study of catalytic chemical reactions in the laboratory scale, quantum optics, hydrodynamic instabilities, or large scale phenomena of interest in physics, geology, atmospheric dynamics and climatology. We expect that the present Volume will acquaint researchers and advanced students in geosciences with the concepts and tools of dyna- mical systems and will thus serve as a jumping off point for new developments and new points of view. Brussels, July 1986. c. Nicolis and G. Nicolis. ORGANIZING COIIM1'1'TEE Benzi R., I.B.M. Scientific Center, Via Giorgione 129, 00147 Roma, Italy. Berger A., Institut d'Astronomie et de Geophysique Georges Lemaftre, Universite Catholique de Louvain, Chemin du Cyclotron 2, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. Flytzanis N., Physics Department, University of Crete, Iraklion, Crete, Greece. Ghil M., Department of Atmospheric Sciences and Institute of Geophy- sics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90024, U.S.A. Nicolis C" Institut d' Aeronomie SpaUale de Belgique, Avenue Circulaire 3, 1180 Bruxelles, Belgium. Nicolis G., Faculte des Sciences, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Campus Plaine, C.P. 226, Boulevard du Triomphe, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium. 50487, 28080 Velarde M.G., U.N.E.D.-Ciencias, Apdo Correos Madrid, Spain. LIST or PAB.TICIPAI1TS Andre J .C. da Cunha L.V. Centre National de Recherches Science Administrator Meteorologiques, NATO Scientific Affairs Division Avenue G. Coriolis 42 1110 Bruxelles 31057 Toulouse Cedex Belgium France Dalfes N.

The European Conference on Complex Systems, held under the patronage of the Complex Systems Society, is an annual event that has become the leading European conference devoted to complexity science. ECCS'12, its ninth edition, took place in Brussels, during the first week of September 2012. It gathered about 650 scholars representing a wide range of topics relating to complex systems research, with emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches. More specifically, the following tracks were covered:

1. Foundations of Complex Systems

2. Complexity, Information and Computation

3. Prediction, Policy and Planning, Environment

4. Biological Complexity

5. Interacting Populations, Collective Behavior

6. Social Systems, Economics and Finance

This book contains a selection of the contributions presented at the conference and its satellite meetings. Its contents reflect the extent, diversity and richness of research areas in the field, both fundamental and applied.

"

This volume provides a self-contained survey of the mechanisms presiding information processing and communication. The main thesis is that chaos and complexity are the basic ingredients allowing systems composed of interesting subunits to generate and process information and communicate in a meaningful way. Emphasis is placed on communication in the form of games and on the related issue of decision making under conditions of uncertainty. Biological, cognitive, physical, engineering and societal systems are approached from a unifying point of view, both analytically and by numerical simulation, using the methods of nonlinear dynamics and probability theory. Epistemological issues in connection with incompleteness and self-reference are also addressed.

Open nonlinear systems are capable of self-organization in space and time. This realization constitutes a major breakthrough of modern science, and is currently at the origin of explosive developments in chemistry, physics and biology. Observations and numerical computations of nonlinear systems surprise us by their inexhaustible and sometimes nonintuitive variety of structures with different shapes and functions. But as well as variety one finds on closer inspection that nonlinear phenomena share universal aspects of pattern formation in time and space. These similarities make it possible to bridge the gap between inanimate and living matter at various levels of complexity, in both theory and experiment. This book is an account of different approaches to the study of this pattern formation. The universality of kinetic, thermodynamic and dimensional approaches is documented through their application to purely mathematical, physical and chemical systems, as well as to systems in nature: biochemical, cellular, multicellular, physiological, neurophysiological, ecological and economic systems. Hints given throughout the book allow the reader to discover how to make use of the principles and methods in different fields of research, including those not treated explicitly in the book.

viii blems as the study of catalytic chemical reactions in the laboratory scale, quantum optics, hydrodynamic instabilities, or large scale phenomena of interest in physics, geology, atmospheric dynamics and climatology. We expect that the present Volume will acquaint researchers and advanced students in geosciences with the concepts and tools of dyna- mical systems and will thus serve as a jumping off point for new developments and new points of view. Brussels, July 1986. c. Nicolis and G. Nicolis. ORGANIZING COIIM1'1'TEE Benzi R., I.B.M. Scientific Center, Via Giorgione 129, 00147 Roma, Italy. Berger A., Institut d'Astronomie et de Geophysique Georges Lemaftre, Universite Catholique de Louvain, Chemin du Cyclotron 2, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. Flytzanis N., Physics Department, University of Crete, Iraklion, Crete, Greece. Ghil M., Department of Atmospheric Sciences and Institute of Geophy- sics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90024, U.S.A. Nicolis C" Institut d' Aeronomie SpaUale de Belgique, Avenue Circulaire 3, 1180 Bruxelles, Belgium. Nicolis G., Faculte des Sciences, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Campus Plaine, C.P. 226, Boulevard du Triomphe, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium. 50487, 28080 Velarde M.G., U.N.E.D.-Ciencias, Apdo Correos Madrid, Spain. LIST or PAB.TICIPAI1TS Andre J .C. da Cunha L.V. Centre National de Recherches Science Administrator Meteorologiques, NATO Scientific Affairs Division Avenue G. Coriolis 42 1110 Bruxelles 31057 Toulouse Cedex Belgium France Dalfes N.