Complex Systems Society

Roadmaps for the Science of Complex Systems

In general terms, a “complex system” is any system comprised of a great number of heterogeneous entities, where local interactions among entities create multiple levels of collective structure and organization. Examples include natural systems, ranging from bio-molecules and living cells to human social systems and the ecosphere, as well as sophisticated artificial systems such as the Internet, power grid or any large-scale distributed software system. The specificity of complex systems, generally underinvestigated or simply not addressed by traditional science, resides in the emergence of non-trivial superstructures that often dominate the system’s behavior and cannot be easily traced back to the properties of the constituent entities. Not only do higher emergent features of complex systems arise from lower-level interactions, but the global patterns that they create affect in turn these lower levels—a feedback loop sometimes called immergence. In many cases, complex systems possess striking properties of robustness against various large-scale, multi-dimensional perturbations. They have an inherent capacity to adapt and maintain their stability. Because complexity requires analysis at many different spatial and temporal scales, scientists face radically new challenges when trying to observe complex systems, learning how to describe them effectively, and developping original theories of their behavior and control.

The French Roadmap is here.

The 2009 ASSYST Roadmap is here.

The 2011 ASSYST Roadmap is here.

The lattest CSS roadmap is here.

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