Complexity science, as Jim Rutt might define it, is the interdisciplinary study of complex systems and the emergent behaviors that arise from the interactions of their components. Rutt emphasizes that this field goes beyond traditional reductionist approaches, focusing instead on how systems self-organize, adapt, and evolve over time. It draws on insights from fields such as physics, biology, computer science, and social sciences to understand phenomena that cannot be fully explained by examining individual parts in isolation. Complexity science seeks to identify underlying patterns and principles that apply across different domains, whether it's the functioning of biological ecosystems, the dynamics of social networks, or the mechanisms of innovation and economic systems. According to Rutt, the aim is to build a holistic framework that can better predict and influence the behavior of complex adaptive systems in a rapidly changing world.

See also: agent-based modeling, emergence, evolutionary computing, evolutionary psychology, complex system