First published 1987 as Los Alamos science, special issue. A compendium of biographical (and autobiographical) notes, essays, and scientific articles reflecting on Ulam's legacy of interdisciplinary approaches to problems in math, physics, and biology; and previously unpublished miscellanea--conversations, a satirical play. The whole serves to celebrate the personality and contributions of the dynamic mathematician. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Chaos: The Science of Predictable Random Motion bridges the gap between introductions for the layman and college-level texts with an account of chaos theory based on elementary mathematics. It develops the science of dynamics in terms of small time steps, describes the phenomenon of chaos through simple examples, and concludes with a close look at a homoclinic tangle, the mathematical monster at the heart of chaos. The presentation is enhanced by numerousfigures, animations of chaotic motion (available on a companion CD), and biographical sketches of the pioneers of dynamics and chaos theory.

Based on chaos theory two very important points are clear: (I) random looking aperiodic behavior may be the product of determinism, and (2) nonlinear problems should be treated as nonlinear problems and not as simplified linear problems. The theoretical aspects ofchaos have been presented in great detail in several excellent books published in the last five years or so. However, while the problems associated with applications of the theory-such as dimension and Lyapunov exponentsestimation, chaosand nonlinear pre diction, and noise reduction-have been discussed in workshops and ar ticles, they have not been presented in book form. This book has been prepared to fill this gap between theory and ap plicationsand to assist studentsand scientists wishingto apply ideas from the theory ofnonlinear dynamical systems to problems from their areas of interest. The book is intended to be used as a text for an upper-level undergraduate or graduate-level course, as well as a reference source for researchers. My philosophy behind writing this book was to keep it simple and informative without compromising accuracy. I have made an effort to presentthe conceptsby usingsimplesystemsand step-by-stepderivations. Anyone with an understanding ofbasic differential equations and matrix theory should follow the text without difficulty. The book was designed to be self-contained. When applicable, examples accompany the theory. The reader will notice, however, that in the later chapters specific examples become less frequent. This is purposely done in the hope that individuals will draw on their own ideas and research projects for examples.

Who were the five strangest mathematicians in history? What are the ten most interesting numbers? Jam-packed with thought-provoking mathematical mysteries, puzzles, and games, Wonders of Numbers will enchant even the most left-brained of readers. Hosted by the quirky Dr. Googol--who resides on a remote island and occasionally collaborates with Clifford Pickover--Wonders of Numbers focuses on creativity and the delight of discovery. Here is a potpourri of common and unusual number theory problems of varying difficulty--each presented in brief chapters that convey to readers the essence of the problem rather than its extraneous history. Peppered throughout with illustrations that clarify the problems, Wonders of Numbers also includes fascinating "math gossip." How would we use numbers to communicate with aliens? Check out Chapter 30. Did you know that there is a Numerical Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder? You'll find it in Chapter 45. From the beautiful formula of India's most famous mathematician to the Leviathan number so big it makes a trillion look small, Dr. Googol's witty and straightforward approach to numbers will entice students, educators, and scientists alike to pick up a pencil and work a problem.

Over the past few years the study of Complex Systems has proven to be a fruitful and expanding field of research. Just as the number of discoveries and applications has grown, so has level of acceptance in academic, government and commercial environments. Theoretical and practical contributions to research have continued to provide a springboard for wide ranging discoveries across many disciplines investigating complex phenomena. This is the third in a series of collected studies on complexity research. This volume addresses one of the central issues of complexity. That is, how are systems put together? How do interactions between individual elements build up into the behavior or properties of an entire system? The topics are: - Organization and Behavior of Computational Systems; - Criticality and Complexity; - Nonlinear Dynamics and Fractals; - Computational Problem Solving with Genetic Algorithms and Cellular Automata; - Evolution, Learning and Artificial Neural Networks; - From Biological Systems to Artificial Life.

Nonlinearity, Complexity and Randomness in Economics presents a variety of papers by leading economists, scientists, and philosophers who focus on different aspects of nonlinearity, complexity and randomness, and their implications for economics. A theme of the book is that economics should be based on algorithmic, computable mathematical foundations. Features an interdisciplinary collection of papers by economists, scientists, and philosophers Presents new approaches to macroeconomic modelling, agent-based modelling, financial markets, and emergent complexity Reveals how economics today must be based on algorithmic, computable mathematical foundations

Cellular automata are a class of spatially and temporally discrete mathematical systems characterized by local interaction and synchronous dynamical evolution. Introduced by the mathematician John von Neumann in the 1950s as simple models of biological self-reproduction, they are prototypical models for complex systems and processes consisting of a large number of simple, homogeneous, locally interacting components. Cellular automata have been the focus of great attention over the years because of their ability to generate a rich spectrum of very complex patterns of behavior out of sets of relatively simple underlying rules. Moreover, they appear to capture many essential features of complex self-organizing cooperative behavior observed in real systems.This book provides a summary of the basic properties of cellular automata, and explores in depth many important cellular-automata-related research areas, including artificial life, chaos, emergence, fractals, nonlinear dynamics, and self-organization. It also presents a broad review of the speculative proposition that cellular automata may eventually prove to be theoretical harbingers of a fundamentally new information-based, discrete physics. Designed to be accessible at the junior/senior undergraduate level and above, the book will be of interest to all students, researchers, and professionals wanting to learn about order, chaos, and the emergence of complexity. It contains an extensive bibliography and provides a listing of cellular automata resources available on the World Wide Web.