Self-Organization and Dissipative Structures: Applications in the Physical and Social Sciences

Published by University of Texas Press 1982

Self-Organization and Dissipative Structures

Applications in the Physical and Social Sciences

Edited by: William C. Schieve and Peter M. Allen

https://doi.org/10.7560/703544

Overview
Contents

About this book

The contributions to this volume attempt to apply different aspects of Ilya Prigogine's Nobel-prize-winning work on dissipative structures to nonchemical systems as a way of linking the natural and social sciences. They address both the mathematical methods for description of pattern and form as they evolve in biological systems and the mechanisms of the evolution of social systems, containing many variables responding to subjective, qualitative stimuli.

The mathematical modeling of human systems, especially those far from thermodynamic equilibrium, must involve both chance and determinism, aspects both quantitative and qualitative. Such systems (and the physical states of matter which they resemble) are referred to as self-organized or dissipative structures in order to emphasize their dependence on the flows of matter and energy to and from their surroundings. Some such systems evolve along lines of inevitable change, but there occur instances of choice, or bifurcation, when chance is an important factor in the qualitative modification of structure. Such systems suggest that evolution is not a system moving toward equilibrium but instead is one which most aptly evokes the patterns of the living world.

The volume is truly interdisciplinary and should appeal to researchers in both the physical and social sciences. Based on a workshop on dissipative structures held in 1978 at the University of Texas, contributors include Prigogine, A. G. Wilson, Andre de Palma, D. Kahn, J. L. Deneubourgh, J. W. Stucki, Richard N. Adams, and Erick Jantsch.

The papers presented include Allen, "Self-Organization in the Urban System"; Robert Herman, "Remarks on Traffic Flow Theories and the Characterization of Traffic in Cities"; W. H. Zurek and Schieve, "Nucleation Paradigm: Survival Threshold in Population Dynamics"; De Palma et al., "Boolean Equations with Temporal Delays"; Nicholas Georgescu-Roegin, "Energy Analysis and Technology Assessment"; Magoroh Maruyama, "Four Different Causal Meta-types in Biological and Social Sciences"; and Jantsch, "From Self-Reference to Self-Transcendence: The Evolution of Self-Organization Dynamics."

Author / Editor information

William C. Schieve is Professor Emeritus of Physics at the Center for Complex Quantum Systems at the University of Texas at Austin. Peter M. Allen is Emeritus Professor in Complex Systems at Cranfield School of Management.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Preface Publicly Available Download PDF	ix
1. The Challenge of Complexity I. Prigogine and P. M. Allen Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
2. Self-Organization in Nonequilibrium Chemistry and in Biology Jack S. Turner Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	40
3. On the Dynamics of Technological Evolutions: Phase Transitions Elliott W. Montroll Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	63
4. The Many Faces of Scaling: Fractals, Geometry of Nature, and Economics Benoit B. Mandelbrot Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	91
5. Successive Reequilibrations as the Mechanism of Cultural Evolution Robert L. Carneiro Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	110
6. The Emergence of Hierarchical Social Structure: The Case of Late Victorian England Richard Newbold Adams Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	116
7. Self-Organization in the Urban System P. M. Allen Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	132
8. Criticality and Urban Retail Structure: Aspects of Catastrophe Theory and Bifurcation A. G. Wilson Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	159
9. Trip Making and Locational Choice Martin J. Beckmann Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	174
10. Creation of Order by Environmental Noise in the Volterra-Lotka Model J. W. Stucki and W. Horsthemke Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	187
11. Noise-Induced Nonequilibrium Phase Transitions Werner Horsthemke Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	193
12. Nucléation Paradigm: Survival Threshold in Population Dynamics W. H. Zurek and W. C. Schieve Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	203
13. The Efficiency of Oxidative Phosphorylation and the Thermodynamic Buffer Enzymes J. W. Stucki Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	225
14. Patterns of Nonequilibrium Organization in a Marine Bacterial Population J. Wagensberg and J. Rodellar Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	239
15. Boolean Equations with Temporal Delays André de Palma, Isabelle Stengers and Serge Pahaut Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	245
16. Remarks on Traffic Flow Theories and the Characterization of Traffic in Cities Robert Herman Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	260
17. Fluctuations in Demand and Transportation Mode Choice J. L. Deneubourg, A. de Palma and D. Kahn Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	285
18. A Calibration of the Boltzmann-Like Theory of Traffic Flow Tenny N. Lam Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	303
19. Energy Analysis and Technology Assessment Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	313
20. Thermodynamic Constraints in Economic Analysis R. Stephen Berry and Bjarne Andresen Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	323
21. Economic Dynamics Russell Davidson Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	339
22. From Self-Reference to Self-Transcendence: The Evolution of Self-Organization Dynamics Erich Jantsch Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	344
23. Four Different Causal Metatypes in Biological and Social Sciences Magoroh Maruyama Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	354

Language: English
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Audience: Professional and scholarly;
Pages
- Main content: 374

eBook

Published: July 29, 2014
ISBN: 9781477300312