This thoroughly updated version of the German authoritative work on
self-organization has been completely rewritten by internationally
renowned experts and experienced book authors to also include a review
of more recent literature. It retains the original enthusiasm and
fascination surrounding thermodynamic systems far from equilibrium,
synergetics, and the origin of life, representing an easily readable
book and tutorial on this exciting field.
The book is unique in covering in detail the experimental and
theoretical fundamentals of self-organizing systems as well as such
selected features as random processes, structural networks and
multistable systems, while focusing on the physical and theoretical
modeling of natural selection and evolution processes. The authors take
examples from physics, chemistry, biology and social systems, and
include results hitherto unpublished in English.
The result is a one-stop resource relevant for students and scientists
in physics or related interdisciplinary fields, including mathematical
physics, biophysics, information science and nanotechnology.