SIMPLICITY
Charles François (2004). SIMPLICITY, International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(2): 3044.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 3044 ▶ |
| Object type | General information |
Character of a process or system which can be described through a quite limited number of operations.
H. SIMON shows how apparent complexity in our models results many times of our lack of understanding of the underlying simplicity of relationships. He gives as an example the simplification of the Ptolemaic cosmological model by COPERNIC, KEPLER and NEWTON (1990, p.129). This could however be a case of “Seek simplicity, but distrust it”. In effect more than two centuries later, POINCARÉ demonstrated that, while correct in principle and in general, classical cosmology could not explain some anomalies in planetary orbits, a result that led later on to the discovery of chaos.
See also
Self-similarity.