complicatedness vs. complexity

"For every problem there is a solution which is simple, clean and wrong." - H.L. Mencken

Complicatedness

  • Methods/tools/knowledge/experts can solve
  • rather technical topics
  • Good example: mechanical clockwork
  • Complicatedness is in a sense a measure of ignorance.
  • [DE] Kompliziertheit

Complexity

  • Want to simplify, but can only be done with errors (in the model/solution/result)
  • rather natural topics
  • good example: a child's birthday party
  • [DE] Komplexität