Computation : The Micro and the Macro View

The laws and methodology of physics are starting to provide powerful insights into the nature and dynamics of computation. This book contains a number of articles that illustrate how the fields of quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics and nonlinear dynamics can elucidate the nature of computation. These include fundamental bounds on information processing, the value of cooperation in concurrent problem solving by computer, the regularities found in the spread of computer viruses, the computation implied by chaotic dynamics and the study of complex systems.