Complexity theory is a set of theoretical frameworks used for modeling and analyzing complex systems across various domains. The basic premise is that there is a hidden order to the behavior and evolution of complex systems, whether that system is a national economy, an ecosystem, the cosmos, an organization, or a production line. It can be used as a framework to study virtually any discipline including biology, physics, chemistry, economics, sociology and psychology.

It asserts that some systems display emergent behaviors that are completely inexplicable by any conventional analysis of the system's constituent parts. Examples of complex systems with emergent phenomena include stock market crashes, forest ecosystems, and even human consciousness.

The core book for this SDG is Notes on Complexity by Neil Theise, a 2024 Nautilus Book Award Winner and one of The Marginalian Favorite Books of 2023.

It is described on Amazon as “an electrifying introduction to complexity theory, the science of how complex systems behave, that explains the interconnectedness of all things and that Deepak Chopra says, “will change the way you understand yourself and the universe.””

This is a very short book - about 160 useful pages - so we will supplement it with other materials including articles, podcasts and YouTube videos.  

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