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Loading... Sync: The Emerging Science of Spontaneous Order (edition 2004)by Steven Strogatz (Autore)
Work InformationSync: The Emerging Science of Spontaneous Order by Steven H. Strogatz
   None No current Talk conversations about this book.  eri_kars | Jul 10, 2022 |    ) waldhaus1 | Nov 30, 2018 |  ) tlockney | Sep 7, 2014 |  ) evanroskos | Mar 30, 2013 | However, Strogatz sticks to his "no math equations" principle to the point that many explanations are vague. For example, in discussing exponential and linear growth rates, a simple diagram containing plots and formulas is practically essential for an intuitive grasp. Strogatz clumsily describes the rates in words. A dose of math, such as relevant plots and the explicit Lorenz equations, would make this book much more revealing to readers interested in math while not turning off those who are not. 1  ftong | Jun 6, 2012 | no reviews | add a review
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At the heart of the universe is a steady, insistent beat, the sound of cycles in sync. Along the tidal rivers of Malaysia, thousands of fireflies congregate and flash in unison; the moon spins in perfect resonance with its orbit around the earth; our hearts depend on the synchronous firing of ten thousand pacemaker cells. While the forces that synchronize the flashing of fireflies may seem to have nothing to do with our heart cells, there is in fact a deep connection. Synchrony is a science in its infancy, and Strogatz is a pioneer in this new frontier in which mathematicians and physicists attempt to pinpoint just how spontaneous order emerges from chaos. From underground caves in Texas where a French scientist spent six months alone tracking his sleep-wake cycle, to the home of a Dutch physicist who in 1665 discovered two of his pendulum clocks swinging in perfect time, this fascinating book spans disciplines, continents, and centuries. Engagingly written for readers of books such as Chaos and The Elegant Universe, Sync is a tour-de-force of nonfiction writing. No library descriptions found. |
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 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)003.7Information Computing and Information Systems Theory Kinds Of SystemsLC ClassificationRatingAverage: (3.95)
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The first two chapters were my highlights. They delve into how synchronization can be predicted and modeled using systems of coupled oscillators. Chapters five, seven, and nine are also fascinating insights into the mathematics of sync. The rest of the chapters, as well as those chapters, cover sync over a broad array of domains from sleep to lasers to the electric grid to human thought and physiology. The grab bag was interesting but it was the underlying mathematics which really fascinated me. Thus my follow-up purchase of Strogatz's textbook Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos: With Applications to Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Engineering. :-) (