Emergence

Name: Emergence
ISBN: 9787572232237

约翰·霍兰德 / 陈禹 / 方美琪Zhejiang Education Publishing House · ChinaApr 2022

4.3

Word count: 150K words
Chapters: 78
ISBN: 9787572232237

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Summary

The very property that "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" has also become an obstacle on the road to research on emergence. Many philosophers and some scientists firmly believe that research on emergence cannot be reduced to the study of clearly defined mechanisms and their interactions. They hold that a machine's capabilities cannot exceed those bestowed on it by humans at the time of its making. John Holland, proponent of complex adaptive systems theory, drew on models and reductionist thinking to establish a universal framework for studying emergence, clearing the obstacles on the research path and driving substantial progress in complex adaptive systems, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and other fields.

Editor's review

Emergence is one of the most fascinating and hardest-to-grasp concepts in complex systems research: the whole exhibits properties that its parts do not possess, yet this is often used as a reason to refuse analysis. The value of Holland's book lies in the fact that he does not stop at philosophical speculation but draws on models and reductionist thinking to build an operable universal framework for studying emergence. He acknowledges the complexity of emergence but argues for approaching it through clearly defined mechanisms and their interactions, thereby turning "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" from a slogan into a research object that can be modeled and tested. This approach has inspirational significance for complex adaptive systems, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and other fields. Reading this book requires some patience for abstract thinking; models and concepts are interwoven, and it is not suited to speed-reading. It is better used as a reference for research thinking than as introductory popular science; readers who enter with the question "how can whole behavior be explained by mechanisms" will gain something more concrete. The book's treatment of the tension between reduction and emergence is also worth revisiting.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Researchers and graduate students in complex systems and multi-agent modeling
Readers interested in the underlying ideas of artificial intelligence and machine learning
Readers in philosophy of science who want to understand the debate between reductionist methods and holism
Interdisciplinary learners with some mathematical and modeling background who are willing to read slowly

Not a good fit for

Beginning readers looking for light popular science and a quick understanding of emergence
Readers lacking training in modeling and abstract thinking who are intimidated by conceptual reasoning
Technical readers expecting concrete programming implementations or engineering case studies

Reading tips

Read the introduction and conclusion first to grasp the author's core position on the relationship between emergence and reduction, then move on to the model chapters.
Slow down in the model sections and sketch out the structures by hand to help understand how mechanisms generate whole behavior.
After each chapter, restate in your own words the emergence problem that the chapter tries to solve, to check whether your understanding is on track.
Read alongside introductory works on complex systems: build a conceptual map first, then tackle this book's framework argument.

About the publisher

Zhejiang Education Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Zhejiang Education Publishing House is a professional publisher focusing on educational publishing while also serving general readers and academic accumulation, with publications covering textbooks, educational readers, popular science, and academic works. Judging from the more than 1,000 titles in the database, the press places considerable emphasis on classics and traditional culture for general readers: modern literature includes Lao She's Camel Xiangzi, Lu Xun's Call to Arms and Wandering and Wild Grass, Xiao Hong's The Story of Hulan River, and Zhu Ziqing's Back View; classical poetry includes Three Hundred Tang Poems and selections from the "Good Chinese Poetry" series, such as the Chu Ci and Qing ci anthologies. Related authors include modern writers such as Lao She, Lu Xun, Xiao Hong, and Zhu Ziqing, as well as classical literature selectors and annotators such as Hengtang Tuishi, Jin Xingyao, Jin Kaicheng, and Qian Zhonglian. Common categories in the database also include social novels, classic works, prose and miscellaneous writings, popular science, and inspirational growth, reflecting a publishing orientation that balances educational service with the popularization of public culture.

版权信息
序言写一本普通读者能看懂的书
第1章神秘的涌现现象
理解涌现
模型的作用
研究涌现道路上的困难
在研究涌现的道路上继续前进
第2章理解科学建模的游戏与数字
国际跳棋与神经网络
模型中的奥秘
棋类游戏及规则
忽略细节的数字
熟悉的积木块
抽象且具体的计算机模型
第3章地图、博弈论与计算机模型
博弈论
初露端倪的涌现
动态模型
动态的计算机模型，研究涌现的利器
第4章会学习的国际跳棋程序
机器学习的困难
塞缪尔的解决方案
评估棋局
从评估到策略
机器棋手的学习过程
如何使学习过程运转起来
改变权重，涌现能力的核心
权重改变引起的涌现结果
国际跳棋程序的启示
第5章神经网络模型
神经元的特征
为神经元建模
固定阈值的神经元网络
国际跳棋程序与前馈神经网络的区别
有关神经元的更多特征
带回路的神经网络
无限期记忆
神经网络模型中的涌现
关于神经网络模型涌现问题的主要观点
状态与策略
确定模型的规则选取
第6章普适理论框架
基于主体的模型
计算机模型的优势
涌现与非线性
普适理论框架的基本要求
第7章涌现的受限生成过程模型
机制的状态
机制的相互作用与连接
作为受限生成过程的元胞自动机
第8章国际跳棋程序与其他受限生成过程模型
国际跳棋程序的受限生成过程
神经网络模型的受限生成过程
Copycat模型
第9章受限生成过程模型的扩展
可变结构受限生成过程模型
受限生成过程的模拟示例
遗传算法与可变结构受限生成过程模型
关于涌现的进一步理解
第10章涌现中的还原论思想
受限生成过程中的新层次
重组元胞自动机
第11章隐喻与创新
科学中的创新和创造
对隐喻的初步探讨
隐喻与模型的关系
创新的培养
没有捷径的创新
诗歌与物理学的创造过程
结语不能停止的涌现研究
作为总结的结束语
作为研究起点的结束语
关于建模的两个警告
关于涌现的进一步研究
涌现研究的几个关键阶段
涌现研究的长远目标
参考文献
译后记涌现的意义和作用 ——《涌现》重译后记

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers without a complex systems background?

It is somewhat difficult. The book involves models and reductionist thinking, and the conceptual density is high; readers without a background can easily get lost in the reasoning. It is advisable to first acquire basic concepts of complex systems and multi-agent modeling before starting this book; the reading experience will then be much smoother.

What is Holland's core claim about emergence?

He emphasizes that emergence is not a mysterious phenomenon beyond study but can be analyzed by building a universal framework with the help of models and reductionist thinking. Whole behavior arises from clearly defined mechanisms and their interactions, and researchers can approach and explain emergence through modeling rather than treating it as an excuse to refuse analysis.

Does the book cover specific applications in machine learning or artificial intelligence?

The materials indicate that the book has advanced the development of complex adaptive systems, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and other fields, but its focus is on building a universal framework for studying emergence rather than explaining specific algorithms or engineering cases. Readers should treat it as a reference at the level of thought and method.

What practical help can I get from reading this book?

It can help you build a research perspective for analyzing whole behavior: when faced with macro phenomena produced by the interactions of many individuals, you will know how to look for mechanisms, how to model, and how to test explanations. This approach offers direct inspiration for research topic selection and interdisciplinary problem analysis.

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About the author

约翰·霍兰德 Author

Public information about John Holland is limited. What can be confirmed is that three of his works are included in this catalog, usually classified under popular science and social culture. His representative works include Emergence, as well as pieces collected in the "2022 Classic Good Books Series" and "Seeing the World from the Shoulders of Masters." Judging from these works, Holland focuses on emergence in complex systems and tends to explain collective behavior in nature and society from an interdisciplinary perspective, balancing scientific rigor with accessibility. His writing addresses general readers and grounds abstract concepts in concrete examples, giving him a certain influence in popular science and books of ideas. Because reliable information on his birth and death dates, nationality, and English name is unavailable, this profile outlines his writing direction only on the basis of existing works and does not supply personal biography.

陈禹 Author

Chen Yu is an author about whom limited public information is available; his nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background have not been clearly recorded. One work by him is held in the collection: the popular science book Emergence. On the basis of the available information, Chen Yu writes for a general audience, taking the interdisciplinary concept of emergence as his subject—the phenomenon in complex systems whereby simple individual interactions generate overall order. Discussions of this kind commonly draw on cases from physics, the life sciences, computer science, and the social sciences. Such writing requires the author to balance specialized concepts with accessibility, explaining the scientific context accurately while presenting abstract principles in an understandable way. Because other information about the author and the number of his works are limited, it is difficult to judge his overall style or long-term influence; what can be confirmed is that he contributes to the dissemination of scientific knowledge through popular science writing. Readers interested in complex systems and emergence may find this book a useful entry point, though further study would require additional public sources.

方美琪 Author

Fang Meiqi: publicly available information is limited. What can be confirmed at present is only that one work appears under this name, Emergence, commonly classified as popular science. This clue suggests that the writing is aimed at general readers and focuses on emergence in complex systems, an interdisciplinary theme, seeking to present concepts from the natural and systems sciences in an accessible popular-science manner. Because the database contains no biographical, educational, or professional information beyond the title and category, her background and identity cannot be further described. On the available evidence, Fang Meiqi's writing is closer to conceptual explanation and knowledge popularization than to personal narrative or practical guidance. The title Emergence itself signals to readers that the work may revolve around basic ideas such as the whole being greater than the sum of its parts and individual interactions generating collective behavior. For readers seeking an introductory book on the concept of emergence, this work can serve as a lead worth consulting, but assessing its style and influence still requires more public material.