[FRIAM] When is something complex

[Günther Greindl]

Hi Mikhail,

> That article in Wiki about Kolmogorov complexity http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolmogorov_complexity answers all these questions
> perfectly - better than me :-( ?

I am perfectly aware of Kolmogorov Complexity - but it does not answer 
the questions posed below, unfortunately.
And I would be specifically interested in _your_ answers/ thoughts :-)

> Mikhail Gorelkin wrote:
>> Just two thoughts: 1) it seems that complexity is a more fundamental category than linearity / non-linearity,
>  >which are parts of a sophisticated ***formal*** system;

K-Complexity is also a formal system.

I would like to uphold my questions from before:

  How would you imagine a complex system which is not non-linear? I would
  say that linear = proportianal relationships; non-linear -> arbitrary
  functional relationships.

  Not even non-linear would then imply _no_ relationships - so no complex
  system.


> 2) I assume there are types of complexity (and, therefore, many - I mean
> really many - types)
>> that cannot be expressed in any formal system (beyond linearity / non-linearity).

You mean systems that can't even be modeled computationally? I would not
equate non-linear systems with those one can model with diff. eq. in
closed form.

Addendum: the question really is if properties of formal systems 
(uncomputability etc) apply to real world complex systems - maybe they 
are all computable (albeit intractable)?


>> Something like Gödel's theorem. ?

How that?


Best,
Günther


-- 
Günther Greindl
Department of Philosophy of Science
University of Vienna
guenther.greindl at univie.ac.at
http://www.univie.ac.at/Wissenschaftstheorie/

Blog: http://dao.complexitystudies.org/
Site: http://www.complexitystudies.org