What do you need to know, and be able to do, to take Evolutionary Systems?

Do I have to be a math wiz, or even like math?

No. Although chaos and complexity theory are intensely mathematical subjects, one of the strange things about chaos/complexity theory is that the most complex behavior derives from the most simple algorithms. It is just the mind numbing number of times the equations have to be calculated, but that is what computers are for. We do explore some of the topics mathematically, but it rarely goes beyond basic algebra. What we do do a lot of is study graphical displays of the outcomes of the algorithms, such as time series diagrams and phase spaces, but, we explore and develop these systematically until they are plainly obvious.

Is this subject so abstract and esoteric that only a geek can understand it?

No. Chaos and complexity deal with phenomena that are so prevalent and pervasive in the everyday world that we have come to know these systems just in the process of living. What most of us have not gotten is a systematic explanation of what these systems are or how they work. It is unfortunately that most of what we are taught in school has little or no bearing on how the real world really works. Chaos/complexity and evolutionary systems may seem strange because of their unfamiliarity, but they are no more difficult to understand than any other subject. What is required, however, is a systematic introduction so that we can get our rational minds around something we already know from everyday experience.

What IS necessary to understand Evolutionary Systems?

Strangely, what is necessary is being able to think logically about a subject that requires a rich and creative imagination.

We are dealing with ideas that "blow your mind." We are trying to understand what Adam Smith's "invisible hand" is, and how and why it works. We are trying to understand how an ant colony works, or the dynamics of how a city grows, or the evolutionary patterns in human history.

But, more we are searching for what is common to all evolutionary systems, whether they be chemical, biological, sociological, economic, political, etc. And this requires being able to see what is common to all systems, even through they at first do not seem at all alike. It requires delving into subjects we know little about, and learning what we need to know to see the principles of evolutionary systems working in them.

Some of the evolutionary models we explore remain very theoretical, and very abstract. Yes, we can easily observe their behavior, see what they are doing on the computer screen, but then the leap is to recognize similar patterns is all the messiness and noisiness of real systems. We must learn to apply abstract theory to real world situations, without becoming confused about what is theory and what is fact.

So, finally, what is required is balancing the rich imagination by developing disciplined thinking skills.

The profs who teach this class teach it because they continue to be personally fascinated by these questions and problems. But, even more we teach it because we want others to join in the pleasure of seeing the world through the lenses of chaos, complexity, and evolutionary systems. And, because we want to attract people from all backgrounds and majors we have a vested interest in presenting the ideas so clearly and from so many different view points that everyone understands.