
Emergent systems ( or just “emergence” ) is a mathematical model that remains elusive despite wide use and frequent occurrence in nature. A flock of birds may be thought of as an example of an emergent structure. No one bird controls the direction of the flock, yet a complex pattern arises out of a multiplicity of simple interactions.
There are many examples of emergence in biology (swarms, colonies and biospheres), chemistry (polypeptide chains), physics (color), psychology (the mind), ecnomomies (stock market), cities (urban planning), mathematics (mobius strip), and, of course, networks (topologies). Let’s consider social networking.
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