Weak links : the universal key to the stability of networks and complex systems
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Weak links : the universal key to the stability of networks and complex systems
（The frontiers collection）
Springer, c2009
- : pbk
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Note
"first edition of this book in 2006" -- preface
Includes bibliographical references (p. [339]-387) and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
How can our societies be stabilized in a crisis? Why can we enjoy and understand Shakespeare? Why are fruitflies uniform? How do omnivorous eating habits aid our survival? What makes the Mona Lisa's smile beautiful? How do women keep our social structures intact? - Could there possibly be a single answer to all these questions? This book shows that the statement: "weak links stabilize complex systems" provides the key to understanding each of these intriguing puzzles, and many more besides. The author, a recipient of several distinguished science communication prizes, explains weak or low probability interactions, and uses them as connecting threads in a vast variety of networks from proteins to ecosystems. This unique book and the ideas it develops will have a significant impact on diverse, seemingly unrelated fields of study.
Table of Contents
A Principle is Born: The Granovetter Study.- Why Do We Like Networks?.- Network Stability.- Weak Links as Stabilizers of Complex Systems.- Atoms, Molecules and Macromolecules.- Weak Links and Cellular Stability.- Weak Links and the Stability of Organisms.- Social Nets.- Networks of Human Culture.- The Global Web.- The Ecoweb.- Conclusions and Perspectives.
by "Nielsen BookData"