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How does a disease such as AIDS manage
to destroy the immune system? How does a city like New York
or Tokyo manage to deliver food, medicine, clothing, and
other essentials to millions of inhabitants without breaking
down? The functioning of such immensely complex systems
remains a mystery. But through his work at the Santa Fe
Institute and at the University of Michigan, John Holland
and his coworkers now stand on the threshold of a solution.
The father of the field of genetic algorithms,
and one of the pioneers of the new science of complexity,
Holland has been at the center of the emerging field of
complex adaptive systems (cas) since its inception.
This landmark book offers for the first
time a coherent synthesis of this nascent discipline, a
summing up which carries on every page the weight of Holland's
authority and distinctive point of view. This book emphasizes
the search for general principles that govern cas
behavior, enlarging on the intuitions of a broad spectrum
of scientists, and it includes a computer model that applies
to the full range of cas. Holland concludes with
a description of what we might do to enhance our theoretical
understanding of cas. He suggests ways in which theory
can provide useful guidelines for attacking the perplexing
cas problems that stretch our resources and place
our world in jeopardy.
John H. Holland originated the field
of genetic algorithms, a science that may one day allow
computers to evolve flexible intelligence. He is Professor
of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering and Professor
of Psychology at the University of Michigan. He is a recipient
of the prestigious MacArthur Fellow award, and is co-chairman
of the Santa Fe Institute Steering Committee.
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