43 citations · 70 across the 5 of their papers we have counts for
5 papers
Reductionism, emergence, and levels of abstractions
Russ Abbott
Can there be independent higher level laws of nature if everything is reducible to the fundamental laws of physics? The computer science notion of level of abstraction explains why…
Complex Systems + Systems Engineering = Complex Systems Engineeri
Russ Abbott
One may define a complex system as a system in which phenomena emerge as a consequence of multiscale interaction among the system's components and their environments. The field of…
Open at the Top; Open at the Bottom; and Continually (but Slowly) Evolving
Russ Abbott
Systems of systems differ from traditional systems in that they are open at the top, open at the bottom, and continually (but slowly) evolving. "Open at the top" means that there i…
If a tree casts a shadow is it telling the time?
Russ Abbott
Physical processes are computations only when we use them to externalize thought. Computation is the performance of one or more fixed processes within a contingent environment. We…
Emergence Explained
Russ Abbott
Emergence (macro-level effects from micro-level causes) is at the heart of the conflict between reductionism and functionalism. How can there be autonomous higher level laws of nat…