Page 75 - The Complexity Perspective 20 02 18

Feedback loops are pervasive in the real world and impact almost all
other constructs in complexity.

Nonlinearity is not Linearity

Sounds obvious but:

Nonlinearity

We talk of nonlinearity because linear thinking was 'discovered' first.

Linear thinking underpins Western analytic (reductionist) thinking;
breaking down a problem into parts so small that a linear cause and
effect relationship is sufficient to solve or model it. This primacy in

time is despite the reality that nonlinearity is far and away the
dominant form of relationship.

Linearity

Linearity is simple cause and effect with no feedback loops taken into
account.

Linear relationships are characterized by:

● Additivity: This means that we can add the effect

or output of two systems together the resulting combination will
be nothing more than that the simple addition of

each system’s output in isolation.

● Homogeneity: This states that the output of a linear system is
always directly proportional to the input, so if we put
twice as much into the system we will, in turn, get out twice as

much. Plotted on a graph this will always give a straight line

Together, additivity and homogeneity are known as the superposition
principles. You can now forget the above, as we are focused on

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