Abstract
Gardner and Ashby1 have suggested that large complex systems which are assembled (connected) at random may be expected to be stable up to a certain critical level of connectance, and then, as this increases, to suddenly become unstable. Their conclusions were based on the trend of computer studies of systems with 4, 7 and 10 variables.
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References
Gardner, M. R., and Ashby, W. R., Nature, 228, 784 (1970).
Margalef, R., Perspectives in Ecological Theory (University of Chicago, 1968).
May, R. M., Math. Biosci., 12, 59 (1971).
Wigner, E. P., Proc. Fourth Canad. Math. Cong., Toronto, 174 (1959).
Mehta, M. L., Random Matrices, 12 (Academic Press, New York, 1967).
Ginibre, J., J. Math. Phys., 6, 44 (1965).
Margalef, R., Perspectives in Ecological Theory, 7 (University of Chicago, 1968).
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MAY, R. Will a Large Complex System be Stable?. Nature 238, 413–414 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1038/238413a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/238413a0
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