Self-Organization
The spontaneous emergence of order and pattern in a system through local interactions, without external direction or central control.
Used in the Books
This term appears in 2 chapters:
"Fragility - central failure cascades system-wide Distributed coordination - flocking-style simple local rules enabling self-organization - offers an alternative. Organizations that implement clear local protocols and empower individuals to respond to nearby "neighbors" achieve coordina..."
"...ated behavior arises from local interactions, and the conditions that determine when emergence produces beneficial versus pathological outcomes. Self-Organization Through Local Rules The starling murmuration that opened this chapter illustrates the most fundamental mechanism of emergence: self-organization thr..."
Biological Context
Flocking birds form patterns without a leader. Slime molds aggregate into organized structures through chemical signaling. Neural networks develop organized connectivity through local activity-dependent rules. Self-organization produces complexity from simple rules.