Emergence

Emergence is the phenomenon of complex patterns of behavior arising out of the myriad interactions of simple agents, which may each operate according to a few simple rules. To put it another way, an emergent system is much more than simply the sum of its parts. It can happen without any grand master outside the system telling the individual agents how to behave. For example, all the people in a modern city acting in their individual capacities as growers, processors, distributors, sellers, buyers, and consumers of food collectively create a food market matching supply and demand of thousands of different items, without an overall plan. An ant colony provides another example of simple agents, each operating according to a few simple rules, producing a larger system that finds food, provides shelter and protection for its members. Artificial intelligence software running on powerful computers can demonstrate useful emergent behavior as well, such as that demonstrated in automatic scheduling software that creates near-optimal schedules for complex activities subject to many constraints.


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Emergence, Emergence is the phenomenon of complex patterns of behavior arising out of the myriad interactions of simple agents, which may each operate according to a few simple rules. To put it another way, an emergent system is much more than simply the sum of its parts. It can happen without any grand master outside the system telling the individual agents how to behave. For example, all the people in a modern city acting in their individual capacities as growers, processors, distributors, sellers, buyers, and consumers of food collectively create a food market matching supply and demand of thousands of different items, without an overall plan. An ant colony provides another example of simple agents, each operating according to a few simple rules, producing a larger system that finds food, provides shelter and protection for its members. Artificial intelligence software running on powerful computers can demonstrate useful emergent behavior as well, such as that demonstrated in automatic scheduling software that creates near-optimal schedules for complex activities subject to many constraints.,