Key Concepts of Complexity Science

Complexity science highlights how interconnected systems, like cities, can exhibit behaviors that are not immediately predictable. Concepts such as Metcalf's Law and West's Law illustrate that as cities grow, their networks and wealth per capita increase in ways that can be mathematically modeled. For instance, Metcalf's Law suggests that the number of connections in a network grows exponentially with the number of nodes, leading to potential interactions that can reach tens of thousands in a large city. Such models also emphasize the fractal nature of cities, where patterns of human behavior and structure maintain their form across different scales.