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Issue No. 3
Celllular Automata
Stephen Wolfram
Based on Chapter 2 of the book entitled "A New Kind of Science"
Editorial remark
Thanks to the generosity of the author, Dr. Stephen Wolfram, we are pleased to present to our readers in this edition of PhysicaPlus Online Chapter 2 of his new book entitled A New Kind of Science. This chapter deals specifically with the exciting development in contemporary physics and mathematics - Cellular Automata. It presents a series of discoveries, starting from a collection of simple computer experiments--illustrated in the book by striking computer graphics--Stephen Wolfram shows how their unexpected results force a whole new way of looking at the operation of our universe. Wolfram uses his approach to tackle a remarkable array of fundamental problems in science, from the origins of apparent randomness in physical systems, to the development of complexity in biology, the ultimate scope and limitations of mathematics, the possibility of a truly fundamental theory of physics, the interplay between free will and determinism, and the character of intelligence in the universe. It will be of interest to scientists and nonscientists alike.
Click here for the full Chapter (English)
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About the Author
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Stephen Wolfram was born in London and educated at Eton, Oxford, and Caltech. He received his Ph.D. in theoretical physics in 1979 at the age of 20, having already made lasting contributions to particle physics and cosmology. In 1981 his work was recognized by a McArthur award. In the early 1980s he made a series of classic discoveries about systems known as cellular automata, which have yielded many new insights in physics, mathematics, computer science, biology, and other fields. In 1986 he founded Wolfram Research, Inc. and began the creation of Mathematica, now the world's leading software system for technical computing and symbolic programming, and the tool that made A New Kind of Science possible. Over the past decade Wolfram has divided his time between the leadership of his company and his pursuit of basic science.
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