From: John Conover <john@email.johncon.com>
Subject: forwarded message from Kimberly Bodelson
Date: Thu, 29 Feb 1996 12:16:29 -0800
This is kind of interesting research. As a matter of fact, one of the
first applications of modern complexity theory was the study of the
Anasazi (the modern Hopi Indians of New Mexico are the descendents of
the Anasazi,) by Douglas Schwartz (one of the patriarchs of the Santa
Fe Institute,) in the early 80's. Although complexity theory is more
widely known for its applications to economics, (ie., it provides the
fundamental theory of programmed trading in the capital markets-that
is where the Santa Fe Institute makes its money,) the first
applications were in the field of anthropology, particularly to the
Meso-American Indian cultures. That is why the Institute is located in
Santa Fe, (also, most of the founders of SFI were out of Los Alamos
National Laboratories, about 30 miles from Santa Fe, where complexity
theory is used in the study of nuclear reactions, ie., the design of
weapons.)
John
--
John Conover, john@email.johncon.com, http://www.johncon.com/