Fred J Molz
Clemson University, USA
Title: On organized complex systems, chaotic dynamics and emergence in natural systems
Biography
Biography: Fred J Molz
Abstract
Complexity is a term being used in many different ways. However, a quantitative definition suggested by a distinguished scientist, Warren Weaver (1948), corresponds to the modern requirements for a mathematical model that can potentially display deterministic chaotic dynamics. We call such models “Organized Complex Systems”, and categorize these systems by levels equal to the number of dependent variables in the mathematical model -- the minimum being 3 for the system to exhibit deterministic chaos. Examples of Level 3 and Level 4 mathematical models are presented. Weaver was also an early proponent of Shannon information theory, ultimately resulting in the idea that information, its transmission and decoding are fundamental to an improved understanding of living systems. Our own studies and a review of several recent publications, suggest that information flow from the DNA molecule and transmission throughout a cell is the basis for the open system processes of life. It is now known that only irregular and non-periodic signals can transmit information, so we conjecture that such signals, which are produced by chaotic dynamics, are common in biological systems. It is conjectured further that the formation of a strange attractor in system space represents mathematically the emergence of the system being simulated. If the system behaves within the boundaries of the attractor, such systems may be viewed as “Sustainable”. These concepts are illustrated by a very recent paper in Biology Today that shows in detail how the Venus fly trap decodes and separates wind-borne information from insect-borne information.