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Biol. Bull. 202: 247-255. (June 2002)
© 2002 Marine Biological Laboratory

Self-Organization in Relation to Several Similar Concepts: Are the Boundaries to Self-Organization Indistinct?

Carl Anderson,*

LS Biologie I, Universität Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany

* Present address: School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0205

Self-organization is a concept and phenomenon whereby system-level patterns spontaneously arise solely from interactions among subunits of the system. Focusing on self-organization at the organismal level, I ask the question: are the boundaries to self-organization indistinct? After reviewing a number of published definitions of self-organization, I explore the conceptual boundaries among self-organization and two similar concepts, stigmergy and self-assembly. I highlight borderline cases that may blur the distinction among these and suggest that they may indeed be conceptually indistinct and difficult to separate in practice. Consequently, I propose a classification scheme based upon three aspects: whether the stimuli to which individuals respond are quantitative or qualitative, whether positive feedback is involved, and whether interindividual interactions are direct or indirect (stigmergic). In addition, I consider several other issues about self-organization, including (1) could a self-organized system use global information? (2) what is the role of the degree of correlation of activity among individuals? and (3) what is the role of positive feedback?




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