Documents

Welcome to the Journey to Science of Complexity, Chaos Theory & Non Linear System Dynamics:

Here is to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the trouble makers the round pegs in a square hole, the ones who see things differently. They are not fond of rules and they have no respect for the status quo.You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing that you can't do is ignore them, because they change things. They push the human race forward, and while some may see them a s crazy ones, we see genius, because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who'll do it. 

Apple Computer Advertising 1997

The Unknown World-Nassim Nicholas Taleb Interview on Business Week

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Peter Senge's Society for Organisational Learning

Among remarkable books that help me shape my thinking and approach to Business Porcesses, Fifth Discipline, The Art and Practice of Learning Organisation, stands on top. I started studying the concepts of learning organisation prior to my affair with Chaos Theory. I was delighted to find out that certain observation about phsical phenomena are also part of The Rules and Disciplines of the Learning Organisation, in its business context. Take a look at the following, the rules which have been based on research related to Chaos Theory and finding a place in Management Science are 7 & 8:

Senge defines a learningorganization as the one that can create the results it truly desires.Through learning we are able to do something we never were able to do. Five disciplines of learning organization are:
1) Building shared vision
2) Mental models
3) Team learning
4) Personal mastery
5) Systems thinking- The Fifth Discipline that integrates the other 4.

The Laws of theFifthDiscipline:
1: Today's problems come from yesterday's "solutions."
2) The harder you push, the harder the system pushes back.
3) Behavior will grow worse before it grows better.
4) The easy way out usually leads back in.
5) The cure can be worse than the disease.
6) Faster is slower.
7) Cause and effect are not closely related in time and space.
8) Small changes can produce big results.but the areas of highest leverage are often the least obvious.

9)You can have your cake and eat it too-but not all at once.
10) Dividing an elephant in half does not produce two small elephants.
11) There is no one to blame but us.

I have created an Orkut community on Senge's Fifth Disciplne. You are invited:

http://www.orkut.com/Community.aspx?cmm=49320492

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Chaos Theory every where

It has become my passion to collect and read material on Chaos Theory and Fractals. Now, I think I have enough to share with all my buddies. 
Books: 
The best material on Chaos Theory for lay person are two books by Dr. Bill Williams. The first one is New Trading Dimension and the other one is Trading Chaos. I would recommend to read New Trading Dimension first. It is going to change the way you look at the universe, yourself and almost every view that you had about anything. You will jump from your seat, like I did, when it is proved to you that the great genius Einstein's work too isn't without flaws. Here is the link:
http://books.google.com.pk/books?id=AFySgHdkxeMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=BILL+WILLIAMS&sig=ACfU3U1pRSxG-DToeM1Z0ie73SY6-72wqw

Books take a long time to read. So, I have hunted down some movies to give you the taste of a world of pleasures that Chaos Theory brings to mind.
First one is a documentary by the Legend Arthur C. Clarke: Fractals- the colours of infinity.
The second is a Hollywood movie "The Butterfly Effect".

Every-other day I come across a couple of movies that include a reference to Chaos Theory. This shows how obsessed Hollywood Directors and Producers are with Chaos Theory. Welcome to the world of Chaos Theory. I promise you it will put a spell on you. 
 

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Nassim Taleb Video Presentation at LongNow Foundation

Nassim Nicholas Taleb presentation on The Black Swan. This is over one hour video. Probably, the longest video presentation avaialable on net. I have converted the format to 3gp, to reduce the size. Anyone interested in better quality video, please email me motasim.ahmad@gmail.com  .