Complication vs Complexity
Complication and Complexity are two words that are often confused when it comes to their meanings and connotations. The word ‘complication’ is used in the sense of ‘change that is difficult to control’ as in the sentences:
1. After the surgery, some complications developed.
2. The experts tried to set right some of the complications.
In both the sentences, you can find that the word ‘complication’ is used in the sense of ‘change that is difficult to control’ and hence, the meaning of the first sentence would be ‘after the surgery, some changes that are difficult to control developed’, and the meaning of the second sentence would be ‘the experts tried to set right some of the changes that are difficult to be controlled’.
On the other hand, the word ‘complexity’ is used in the sense of ‘difficult to comprehend or understand’ as in the sentences:
1. The complexity of the problem puzzled even the best of the mathematicians.
2. The complexity of the situation demanded an early finish.
In both the sentences, the word ‘complexity’ is understood in the sense of ‘difficult to comprehend or understand’ and hence, the meaning of the first sentence would be ‘the difficulty to understand the problem puzzled even the best of the mathematicians’, and the second sentence would mean ‘the difficulty to understand the situation demanded an early finish’.
It is quite natural that due to bad planning several simple things are made complicated in life. The changes are made in such a fashion that you will find it difficult to exercise control over them. On the other hand, complexity of a mathematical problem can be set right by practicing and hard work. Complexity has some solutions but complications have few solutions. This is a major difference between the two terms, namely, complication and complexity.