John Henry Holland Quotes

nonlinear interactions almost always make the behavior of the aggregate more complicated than would be predicted by summing or averaging.

Evolution continually innovates, but at each level it conserves the elements that are recombined to yield the innovations.

If we are to understand the interactions of a large number of agents, we must first be able to describe the capabilities of individual agents.

If there is to be a competition, there must be some basis for resolving it. It is also clear that the competition should be experienced based.

The recycling of resource by the aggregate behavior of a diverse array of agents is much more than the sum of the individual actions.

Unwrapping occurs when the "solution" is explicitly built into the program from the start.

Particular individuals do not recur, but their building blocks do.

Looking back to data, we can see if the consequences are plausible; looking forward to theory, we can see if general principles are suggested.

This use of building blocks to generate internal models is a pervasive feature of complex adaptive systems.

From the point of view of physics, it is a miracle that [seven million New Yorkers are fed each day] without any control mechanism other than sheer capitalism.

The measure of performance of any given agent is the amount of money it accumulates through its actions.

When a new building block is discovered, the result is usually a range of innovations.

The multiplier effect is a major feature of networks and flows. It arises regardless of the particular nature of the resource, be it goods, money, or messages.