Complexity, Emergence and the Evolution of Scientific Theories: Towards a Predictive Epistemology

Miguel Angel Fuentes seeks to understand the behavior of complex systems from a conceptual/fundamental point of view, focusing on anomalies that often are important ingredients for the appearance of new features. As an interdisciplinary researcher and strategic research manager at Santa Fe Institute, he is developing a research program that focuses on interdisciplinary research applied to public policy, emerging phenomena, stochastic and nonlinear dynamics applied to the appearance of innovations in diversified (social/biological) environments.Fuentes holds a PhD in Philosophy of Science and a PhD in Physics from Instituto Balseiro — one of the most prestigious research centers in Latin America. He has also worked and studied at places like the Université Pierre et Marie Curie, the Institut Non Linéaire de Nice and the Center for Nonlinear Studies at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

• Introduction.- 1 The Concept of Emergence.- 2 Complexity Measures.- 3 Complexity and Emergence.- 4 Parametric Complexity and the Evolution of Scientific Theories.- 5 Conclusions.