How do billions of nerve cells organise themselves into a living brain? How does the genetic code control the growth of developing embryos into complete human beings? How do ants and bees manage to construct elaborate nests and societies without the advanced ability for thinking and planning?

Leading Charles Sturt University (CSU) researcher, Professor David Green, hopes to address complex questions such as these when Federal Government funding announced last week for research into complex systems is finalised later in 2002.

“Complexity deals with the ways the world is put together. It seeks to explain how various factors combine and are linked to produce an event or phenomenon and show why ‘the whole is often greater than the sum of its parts’,” Professor Green said.

“Traditional science works by breaking things and ideas into smaller parts - but you can only learn so much that way. Complexity looks at how properties emerge when the pieces fit together.”

Professor Green, fellow research team leader Professor Terry Bossomaier and CSU colleagues at CSU’s Thurgoona ad Bathurst Campuses form one of the world’s leading research teams in complexity. They have published extensively in the area, including the online research journal Complexity International, hold international conferences and summer schools on the topic and teach Australia’s only courses in the field.

“CSU's Complex Systems Research Group focuses on biocomplexity – complex systems in nature. Much advanced computing is indistinguishable from biology, with biological concepts such as genetic algorithms and neural networks used extensively in programming, including games,” Professor Green said.

“Living systems have evolved workable solutions to many complex problems, so we have much to learn from nature for developing and managing more complex computer systems and programs.”
CSU’s Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Training, Dr Paul Burnett, supports the importance of research into complex systems for worldwide scientific development.

“Japan, Korea and USA have poured billions of dollars into complexity research in recent years, particularly where it can be applied to robotics, complex computer programming and biocomplexity.

“Increasing Australia’s capacity in complex systems research will allow our already world-class researchers to make further breakthroughs in the area.”