Have you ever called something complicated? Or complex? Maybe even both, without knowing whether there’s a real difference between the two terms. Let’s take advantage of this article to explain the differences and introduce the fabulous world of complexity.
The word “complicated” comes etymologically from the Latin complicare, which could be translated as “to bend by rolling” or “to bind together”. Complex”, on the other hand, derives from “complexus”, which can be understood as “embracing” or “entwining”.
It’s still difficult to get an idea of the difference solely on the basis of their Latin roots, so let’s take a look at two examples.
The best example to explain the complex is, in my opinion, a good plate of spaghetti. Notice how the pasta is arranged, interlocking with each other. Their arrangement is not due to the will of the person who filled the plate; he simply took the pasta and let it settle by itself. You could say they’ve self-organized. The probability of obtaining the same arrangement of pasta again on another plate is quite simply infinitesimal.
Let’s take a look at the network of pipes in a factory. Even if it looks like a mess at first glance, we could reproduce it identically if we had the construction plan. By the same token, we can solve complicated problems as long as we have the rules.
As you can see, there’s a fine line between the two. I’d like to focus on the definition of complex systems given by Alain Barrat, from the Centre de Physique Théorique in Marseille: “‘complex system’ is a system composed of a large number of interacting elements without central coordination, without a plan drawn up by an architect, and leading spontaneously to the emergence of ‘complex structures’, i.e. stable structures with patterns presenting several spatial and temporal scales.
By way of conclusion, consider the following example, which in itself is a clear illustration of the difference between complicated and complex: “A car is complicated, traffic is complex”.
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