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Science 2 April 1999:
Vol. 284. no. 5411, pp. 87 - 89
DOI: 10.1126/science.284.5411.87

Viewpoint

Simple Lessons from Complexity

Nigel Goldenfeld, 1 Leo P. Kadanoff 2

The complexity of the world is contrasted with the simplicity of the basic laws of physics. In recent years, considerable study has been devoted to systems that exhibit complex outcomes. This experience has not given us any new laws of physics, but has instead given us a set of lessons about appropriate ways of approaching complex systems.

1 Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1110 West Green Street, Urbana, IL 61801, USA. E-mail: nigel{at}uiuc.edu
2 Departments of Physics and Mathematics, James Franck Institute, University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60615, USA. E-mail: leoP{at}uchicago.edu


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