December 2, 2004

Science of complexity has broad appeal

By Megan Fellman

The evolution of languages. The Internet. Human consciousness. The spread of  disease such as HIV and smallpox. The U.S. power grid. The transfer of knowledge  within organizations. Even a termite colony. These disparate systems all share  one important characteristic: they are complex systems.

The emerging science of complexity has attracted Northwestern faculty from a wide range of disciplines, including engineering, business, natural sciences, education, medicine, law and the social sciences. To take advantage of this shared interest, the University has established a new research enterprise, the Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO), whose goal is to stimulate path-breaking research of complex systems across traditional boundaries.

“Investigating how complex networks operate, by looking at them as a whole and not just their individual parts, is the only way to make sensible decisions about them,” said Julio M. Ottino, Robert R. McCormick Institute Professor and Walter P. Murphy Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering. “For example, better understanding of the power grid or the propagation of HIV infection could help us learn how to prevent a massive blackout or control the spread of a devastating disease.”

“Complexity theory provides a very useful tool to analyze social organizations,” said Daniel Diermeier, IBM Distinguished Professor of Regulation and Competitive Practice, at the Kellogg School of Management. “Applications range from traffic patterns to the study of voting, to knowledge management and innovation.”

Ottino and Diermeier are co-directors of the institute.

“Even though the institute faculty represent many different parts of the University, they are collaborating in new and creative ways in research and teaching,” said Provost Lawrence B. Dumas. “North-western has an opportunity to quickly become the leading program among peer institutions in this interdisciplinary area.”