In this module we are going to cover the basics of adaptive systems by firstly defining what they are, we will then illustrate the concept by discussing a number of examples, we will go on to talk about agency and how the capacity for adaptation gives rise to autonomy and diversity.

In this module we are going to talk about control systems from the perspective of systems theory and cybernetics, we will firstly define what they are and give some examples before introducing you to the basic components of a control system and its overall workings. Lastly we will talk about what it means for something to be self-regulated or under control.

In this module we are going to talk about the internal logic or schema that governs the behavior of agents within complex adaptive systems. This logic can span from the very elementary to the very complex and thus we will break it down into two different types, we will start with the most basic type of logic what are called algorithms and then go on to discuss more advanced conceptual systems, what are called schemata within the language of complex adaptive systems.

In this section to the course we are going to start our discussion on the major theme of self-organization by exploring one of the key premises of complex systems theory, which is that global coordination and complex behavior can emerge out of very simple rules governing the interaction between agents on the local level without need for centralized coordination.

In this module we will be discussing the role of feedback loops with respect to self-organization by looking at how they works to promote or de-promote the synchronization of states between elements within complex adaptive systems. We will start by talking about the different types of feedback loops while also discussing a number of example, we will then look at positive and negative externalities and finish by talking about the effects of combining both feedback loops and externalities.

In this video we are going to discuss cellular automata, we will firstly talk about what they are before looking at a classical example, we will then discuss individually the different classes of patterns that cellular automata can generate before wrapping-up with a talk about their significance as a new approach to mathematical modeling.

In this module we are going to talk about the dynamics of cooperation and competition between agents within complex systems. We will firstly discuss the general concept before looking at zero and positive-sum-games, following this we will be talking about negative externalities as we look at the so-called “tragedy of the commons “ and social dilemma.

In this module we will be talking about the theory of far-from-equilibrium self-organization, we will firstly discuss the concepts of order and randomness in terms of symmetry and information theory, we will then talk about complex as the product of an in between or phase transition state and finally will discuss the term edge-of-chaos and talk about how self-organization is though to be dependent upon noise and random fluctuations in order to stay generating variety.

In this module we will be discussing robustness and resilience within self- organizing systems, we will firstly talk about what we mean by robustness, we will go on to discuss adaptation as a mechanism for resilience and why self- organizing systems are typically considered robust, we will look at the theory of requisite variety and finish by talking about self-organized criticality.

In this module we will be talking about the dynamics of evolution within complex systems, we will firstly define what we mean by the term, then look at its basic functioning by discussing each stage in the process and finally talk about evolution with respect to the development of complexity.

In this video we will present the concept of a fitness landscape as it is used to model complex adaptive systems, we will provide you with a basic description of how the model works, talk about the key parameter that affect its topology and finally look at the types of strategies used by agents within these different landscapes.