Policy and Complex Systems - Volume 2 Number 1 - Spring 2015
John Henry Holland Overview- Dr . Joseph Cochran
John H . Holland was one of the founders of complexity science through his investigations
of a interdisciplinary approach to computer science that interpreted the field as an evolutionary system rather than an engineering exercise . He received the first computer science doctorate from the University of Michigan in 1959 and witnessed an increase in computing power during his long academic career that is difficult for the layman to understand . The improvements in computing power that he witnessed led to the possibility of investigating the subject of complexity and , by 1990s , the creation of complexity science .
John H . Holland was known for his contributions to a number of fields , ranging from cognitive science to statistical learning systems . He was a champion of interdisciplinary studies , the result of his early efforts to use the lessons of evolutionary science within computer science , and often suggested that the advancement of human knowledge could only be achieved through examining the intersections that occurred between multiple fields of study . His students have become celebrated for embracing the types of interdisciplinary research that have led to the advances in computing that are taken for granted by contemporary society .
John H . Holland was interested in a number of subjects , ranging from artificial intelligence to nanotechnology , and published extensively in a variety of fields . While he was often thought of as the most learned of academics within his field , his peers often noted his contagious zeal towards gaining greater knowledge and towards finding the hidden patterns of seemingly chaotic systems . If one sentence could be used to describe his academic career , it would be that he found order within chaos and then learned what the chaos around order that he found could tell him .
John H . Holland may be best known for his discovery of genetic algorithms , which allowed computer programs to mimic the evolution of biological systems . Genetic algorithms have been used by computer scientists for decades to model the impacts of alterations and mutations within a closed system and have been used by evolutionary scientists to improve their own understanding of the processes that led to change within biological systems . Genetic algorithms have also been used to development of engineering solutions without physical experimentation through modeling the effects of random change .
John H . Holland lived a rich and long life that was filled with meaning research and wonderful students , the perfect life for a career academic . He directly influenced a legion of students and , through his students who went into academia for research and teaching , he will continue to effect the lives of countless people throughout the foreseeable future . The lessons that he taught his students , and the research that he gave to science , serves as a lasting example of the impact that the right person can have on the world when they are fortunate enough to be born at the right time in history . He will be missed .
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