Self-organization: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 19:20, 22 March 2025

The process by which a system organizes itself without external direction

Self-organization is a process where a system spontaneously increases its organization without being guided or managed by an external source. This phenomenon is observed in various fields, including physics, chemistry, biology, economics, and sociology. Self-organization is a key concept in complex systems and is often associated with emergence, where larger entities, patterns, and regularities arise through interactions among smaller or simpler entities that themselves do not exhibit such properties.

Characteristics[edit]

Self-organization is characterized by several key features:

Autonomy: The system operates without external control, relying on internal processes to organize itself.
Adaptation: The system can adjust to changes in the environment, maintaining its organization.
Emergence: Complex patterns and structures emerge from the interactions of simpler components.
Non-linearity: Small changes in the system can lead to significant effects, often described by chaos theory.
Feedback loops: Positive and negative feedback loops play a crucial role in maintaining the system's organization.

Examples in Nature[edit]

Self-organization is prevalent in nature and can be observed in various biological and physical systems:

Biological Systems: In biology, self-organization is seen in the formation of cellular structures, tissue development, and ecosystem dynamics. For example, the ant colony is a classic example where individual ants follow simple rules, leading to the emergence of complex colony behavior.

Physical Systems: In physics, self-organization can be observed in crystal formation, turbulence, and pattern formation in fluids. The Bénard cells in a heated fluid are a well-known example of self-organized patterns.

Chemical Systems: In chemistry, self-organization is evident in reaction-diffusion systems such as the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction, where chemical reactions lead to the formation of spatial patterns.

Applications[edit]

Self-organization has practical applications in various fields:

Technology: In computer science, self-organizing systems are used in distributed computing, network design, and artificial intelligence. Algorithms inspired by self-organization, such as swarm intelligence and genetic algorithms, are used to solve complex problems.

Economics: In economics, self-organization is used to describe how markets and economies can organize themselves without central control, as seen in free market systems.

Sociology: In sociology, self-organization is studied in the context of social systems and networks, where individuals interact to form complex social structures.

Related Concepts[edit]

Self-organization is closely related to several other concepts in systems theory and complexity science:

Related pages[edit]

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-[[File:Phospholipid TvanBrussel.jpg|thumb|280px|Phospholipid bilayer]]
+{{Short description|The process by which a system organizes itself without external direction}}
-[[File:Water Crystals on Mercury 20Feb2010 CU1.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Water crystals forming on glass demonstrate an emergent natural process occurring under appropriate conditions of temperature and humidity.]]
+{{About|the concept in systems theory|other uses|Self-organization (disambiguation)}}
-[[File:Sand dune ripples.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Ripple patterns in a [[sand dune]] created by wind or water is an example of an emergent structure in nature.]]
-[[File:Causeway-code poet-4.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Giant's Causeway]] in Northern Ireland is an example of a complex emergent structure created by natural processes]]
-'''Self-organization''' is a process where some form of order  arises out of a [[random]] system. The process is [[wikt:spontaneity|spontaneous]]: it happens on its own. It is not directed or [[control]]led by any [[agent]] inside or outside the system.
+'''Self-organization''' is a process where a system spontaneously increases its organization without being guided or managed by an external source. This phenomenon is observed in various fields, including [[physics]], [[chemistry]], [[biology]], [[economics]], and [[sociology]]. Self-organization is a key concept in [[complex systems]] and is often associated with [[emergence]], where larger entities, patterns, and regularities arise through interactions among smaller or simpler entities that themselves do not exhibit such properties.
-Self-organization occurs in a variety of physical, chemical, biological, social and cognitive systems. A common example is [[crystallization]]. An example from [[biological]] [[chemistry]] is the [[lipid bilayer]], which is the basis of the [[cell membrane]], and so is of great importance.
+==Characteristics==
+Self-organization is characterized by several key features:
-Many self-organising things have properties which are "emergent". What this means is that one can't predict what will happen, usually because the possibilities are too many to study. Some examples:
+* '''Autonomy''': The system operates without external control, relying on internal processes to organize itself.
-#[[Protein folding]]: after [[RNA translation]], proteins fold themselves up into their working shape. For every protein there are one or two shapes which are stable, but it is almost impossible to predict the folding from the sequence of [[amino acids]].<ref name=Alberts>{{cite book | last = Alberts| first = Bruce et al. | title = Molecular biology of the cell | publisher = 4th ed, Garland Science| year = 2002 | location = New York | chapter = The shape and structure of proteins | isbn = 0-8153-3218-1 }}</ref>
+* '''Adaptation''': The system can adjust to changes in the environment, maintaining its organization.
-#Liberal economic theory argues that [[free market]] [[economies]] create a spontaneous order, "a more efficient allocation of societal resources than any design could achieve". [[Friedrich Hayek]].<ref>Hayek, cited in Petsoulas, Christian. 2001. ''Hayek's liberalism and its origins: his idea of spontaneous order and the Scottish Enlightenment''. Routledge.</ref> <br/>This is the concept of the "invisible hand" (Adam Smith in ''The Wealth of Nations''). By acting on information with greater detail and accuracy than is possible for any centralized authority, a more efficient economy is created to the benefit of the whole society.<ref name="Ferguson1767">{{cite book| last = Ferguson| first = Adam| title = An essay on the history of civil society| publisher = Cadell, London| year = 1767| url = http://oll.libertyfund.org/index.php?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3Ftitle=1428&Itemid=28}}</ref>
+* '''Emergence''': Complex patterns and structures emerge from the interactions of simpler components.
+* '''Non-linearity''': Small changes in the system can lead to significant effects, often described by [[chaos theory]].
+* '''Feedback loops''': Positive and negative feedback loops play a crucial role in maintaining the system's organization.
-== References ==
+==Examples in Nature==
-{{Reflist}}
+Self-organization is prevalent in nature and can be observed in various biological and physical systems:
+* '''Biological Systems''': In [[biology]], self-organization is seen in the formation of [[cellular structures]], [[tissue development]], and [[ecosystem dynamics]]. For example, the [[ant colony]] is a classic example where individual ants follow simple rules, leading to the emergence of complex colony behavior.
+* '''Physical Systems''': In [[physics]], self-organization can be observed in [[crystal formation]], [[turbulence]], and [[pattern formation]] in fluids. The [[Bénard cells]] in a heated fluid are a well-known example of self-organized patterns.
+* '''Chemical Systems''': In [[chemistry]], self-organization is evident in [[reaction-diffusion systems]] such as the [[Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction]], where chemical reactions lead to the formation of spatial patterns.
+==Applications==
+Self-organization has practical applications in various fields:
+* '''Technology''': In [[computer science]], self-organizing systems are used in [[distributed computing]], [[network design]], and [[artificial intelligence]]. Algorithms inspired by self-organization, such as [[swarm intelligence]] and [[genetic algorithms]], are used to solve complex problems.
+* '''Economics''': In [[economics]], self-organization is used to describe how markets and economies can organize themselves without central control, as seen in [[free market]] systems.
+* '''Sociology''': In [[sociology]], self-organization is studied in the context of social systems and networks, where individuals interact to form complex social structures.
+==Related Concepts==
+Self-organization is closely related to several other concepts in systems theory and complexity science:
+* [[Emergence]]
+* [[Complex adaptive systems]]
+* [[Chaos theory]]
+* [[Synergetics]]
+* [[Autopoiesis]]
+==Related pages==
+* [[Complex systems]]
+* [[Emergence]]
+* [[Chaos theory]]
+* [[Swarm intelligence]]
+* [[Autopoiesis]]
 [[Category:Systems theory]]
-[[Category:Biology]]
+[[Category:Complex systems]]
-{{dictionary-stub1}}
+[[Category:Emergence]]