Definition of Self-Organizing Systems

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Formal Definitions

Definition from Camazine et. al. 2003

In self-organizing systems, pattern formation occurs through interactions internal to the system, without intervention by external directing influences. from Scott Camazine, Jean-Louis Deneubourg, Nigel R. Franks, James Sneyd, Guy Theraula, Eric Bonabeau, "Self-organization in biological systems", Princeton, 2003, p.7

Definition from Research Days'08 (1)

A selforganizing system (SOS) is a system that uses simple local rules to achieve complex global behavior. Additional preconditions to this definition include:

  • Multiple units/entities
  • Communication among some of the entities
  • Adaptive based on external measurements/events
  • Observer
  • No hard coded solutions by the designer

Definition from Research Days'08 (2)

A self-organizing system (SOS) is a set of entities that obtains global system behavior via local interactions without centralized control.

Definition from Research Days'08 (3)

A system shows self-organizing behavior if it is autonomous, adaptive, and its organization and function is an emergent property.

Definition by Farley and Clark of Lincoln Laboratory in 1954

A self-organizing system is a system that changes its basic structure as a function of its experience and environment.

Properties of SOS

Homogeneous vs. hetereogeneous networks

A SOS does not necessarily have to contain homogeneous components (like a school of fish, where each fish has the same properties and behavior) but also system of specialized agents is possible (eg., a soccer team with dedicated defenders, midfielders and strikers).