Complex or Complicated?

To understand complexity, we need to separate it from something else: complication.

Anatomy of a Complex System

Across biology, economics, societies — and software — complex systems share four traits:

Diversity.
Connection.

Interdependence.
Adaptation.

Diversity

Diversity is the system’s available options.

Connection

Connections determine how information flows

Adaptation

Complex systems adapt — without central control.

Interdependence

In complex systems, nothing stands alone.

Feedback Loops

Feedback is how complex systems learn.

When Systems Interact

When diversity, connection, adaptation, and interdependence combine,
systems exhibit behaviors no one explicitly designed.

Emergence

Emergence is when the system does something none of the parts intended.

Robustness 

Complex systems can be incredibly robust.

Collapse

But tight coupling flips robustness into fragility.

Novelty

One of the most powerful outcomes of complexity is novelty.

Prediction vs. Responsiveness

You can’t fully predict complex systems.

Harnessing Complexity