摘要
傳統的新古典經濟學假設完全理性的代理人（廠商、消費者、投資者），他們面臨明確定義的問題，並在均衡時達到與由最適行為引起的總體結果相一致的結果。這種理性的均衡系統產生了一種優雅的經濟學，但具有限制性且通常不切實際。複雜性經濟學放寬了這些假設，它假設代理人不同，他們對其他代理人的訊息不完整，因此必須嘗試理解他們所面臨的情況。代理人探索、回應並不斷地改變他們的行動和策略，以回應他們共同創造的結果。由此產生的結果可能不在均衡狀態，並且可能會顯示均衡分析不可預見的型態和突現現象。經濟不是〔外生〕給定的和既存的，而是從一系列不斷地發展的行動、策略和信念中不斷地形成的—某種不是機械的、靜態的、永恆的和完美的，而是有機的，總是在自我創造，充滿生機，充滿雜亂的活力。
並列摘要
Conventional, neoclassical economics assumes perfectly rational agents (firms, consumers, investors) who face well-defined problems and arrive at optimal behaviour consistent with-in equilibrium with-the overall outcome caused by this behaviour. This rational, equilibrium system produces an elegant economics, but is restrictive and often unrealistic. Complexity economics relaxes these assumptions. It assumes that agents differ, that they have imperfect information about other agents and must, therefore, try to make sense of the situation they face. Agents explore, react and constantly change their actions and strategies in response to the outcome they mutually create. The resulting outcome may not be in equilibrium and may display patterns and emergent phenomena not visible to equilibrium analysis. The economy becomes something not given and existing but constantly forming from a developing set of actions, strategies and beliefs-something not mechanistic, static, timeless and perfect but organic, always creating itself, alive and full of messy vitality.