The Computational Beauty of Nature: Computer Explorations of Fractals, Chaos, Complex Systems, and Adaptation

Flake, Gary William

ISBN 10: 0262561271 / ISBN 13: 9780262561273

Published by Bradford Book, 2000

Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0262561271I3N00

Synopsis:

In this book Gary William Flake develops in depth the simple idea that recurrent rules can produce rich and complicated behaviors. Distinguishing "agents" (e.g., molecules, cells, animals, and species) from their interactions (e.g., chemical reactions, immune system responses, sexual reproduction, and evolution), Flake argues that it is the computational properties of interactions that account for much of what we think of as "beautiful" and "interesting." From this basic thesis, Flake explores what he considers to be today's four most interesting computational topics: fractals, chaos, complex systems, and adaptation.

Each of the book's parts can be read independently, enabling even the casual reader to understand and work with the basic equations and programs. Yet the parts are bound together by the theme of the computer as a laboratory and a metaphor for understanding the universe. The inspired reader will experiment further with the ideas presented to create fractal landscapes, chaotic systems, artificial life forms, genetic algorithms, and artificial neural networks.

About the Author: Gary William Flake is a research scientist in the Adaptive Information and Signal Processing Department of Siemens Corporate Research, Princeton, New Jersey.

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Computational Beauty of Nature: Computer...
Publisher: Bradford Book
Publication Date: 2000
Binding: Paperback
Condition: Good
Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket