Mechanisms
Simple linear convergence to equilibrium points
Random walks, PageRank centrality
Local kinetic interaction
several models of collective behavior (
Couzin et al., 2004), such as flocks, schools, herds, and crowds.
Boids, swarm chemistry
Local activation + long range inhibition
Reaction-diffusion (Turing patterns)
Spontaneous symmetry breaking
Coarsening patterns
Preferential attachment / rich-gets-richer
Social networks, naming/language games
Stigmergy
Social insects, sociocultural processes
Balance b/w production and destruction
Game of Life, autopoiesis
Balance b/w exploration and exploitation
Evolutionary algorithms, PSO
Coevolution of structure and behavior
Adaptive networks, mind-body coevolution
Energy accumulation and release by cascade
Sand pile models, forest fire
self-organized criticality
Other?
Discussion
Lots of balances... order/chaos, robustness/adaptability, production/destruction, exploration/exploitation... self-organization can be useful to let systems find the appropriate balance for their current context, as it is known that the optimal balance can change \citep*{GershensonHelbing2015}
Future Perspectives
How can one make self-organization programmable?
Can one predict the macroscopic outcomes of self-organization?
What are the roles of self-organization in ALife challenges (e.g., open-ended evolution)?