How Nature Works: The Science of Self-organized Criticality

Name: How Nature Works: The Science of Self-organized Criticality
Author: Per Bak

by Per Bak

This book is a great attempt at finding some universality based on systems in a ‘critical’ state, with departures from such state taking place in a manner that follows power laws. The sandpile is a great baby model for that. Some people are critical of Bak’s approach, some even suggesting that we may not get power laws in these ‘sandpile’ effects, but something less scalable in the tails. The point is :so what? The man has vision.

Recommended by

Nassim Taleb

"This book is a great attempt at finding some universality based on systems in a ‘critical’ state, with departures from such state taking place in a manner that follows power laws. The sandpile is a great baby model for that. Some people are critical of Bak’s approach, some even suggesting that we may not get power laws in these ‘sandpile’ effects, but something less scalable in the tails. The point is :so what? The man has vision."

Favorite books · radicalreads.com