Hi,
(*1*) Emergence is one of the best known characteristics of complex
systems [1]. One simple example of emergence is the formation of water from
the chemical reaction (involving electronic rearrangements of molecules)
between oxygen and hydrogen:
O_2 + 2 H_2 ------> 2 H-O-H (essential for life)
Oxygen and hydrogen are gases under normal conditions whereas water is a
liquid.
It is important to realize that different substances can EMERGE from the
same set of components, depending on the MECHANISM of emergence or
interactions. Thus the same set of reactants above can produce an entirely
different product, i.e., hydrogen peroxide:
O_2 + H_2 -------> H-O-O-H (poisonous)
(*2*) The concept of emergence is not confined to hard sciences but also
applies to soft sciences, e.g. linguistics:
2 T's + S + A + E ------------------> State
|
|
|---------> Taste
S + I + G + N -------------------------> Sign
|
|
|------------> Sing
Thus I am inclined to define "complexity" or "complex systems" as follows:
"*Complex systems are those multi-component systems, either material or
formal, *(090115-1)
*whose properties are determined not only by those of individual
components *
*but also by the way (i.e., the mechanism by which) the components are
organized,*
*either spontaneously (resulting in self-organized systems) or artificially
(resulting *
*in **'other-organized'** systems [2]).*
(*3*) Auyang is cited in [1, p. 12] as having defined complexity as
follows:
*"I use complex and complexity intuitively to describe self-organized
systems that have *(090115-2)
* many components and many characteristic aspects, exhibit many
structures in various scales, undergo many processes in various rates, and
have the capabilities to change abruptly and adapt to external
environment".*
There are many similarities between definitions of complexity, (090115-1)
and (090115-2), but one significant difference may be that Auyang's
definition applies only to *self-organized systems* (e.g., cells, brains,
human societies) and excludes *other-organized* systems (e.g., Bernard
cells, paintings, linguistic texts, computer programs, mathematical
formulas).
(*4*) Phase transitions in physics are examples of emergence [1], and both
phase transitions and emergence may be viewed as examples of *discontinuity*,
the opposite of *continuity* or synechism of Peirce.
(*5*) There may be two kinds of discontinuities -- *intra-system
discontinuity* (e.g., liquid-solid or liquid-gas phase transitions of
water) and *inter-system discontinuity *(e.g., living vs. non-living
systems, nautilus shells vs. the Milky Way spiral galaxy). Both kinds of
discontinuities may be associated with emergences, leading to the
conjecture that there are two kinds of emergences -- intra-system and
inter-system emergences.
(*6*) It seems to me that complexity scientists are more interested in
studying the phenomenon of emergences of all kinds, e.g., life from
non-life, entropy from molecular organizations, the universe from the Big
Bang, etc. But I have provided to these lists many examples during the
past year of the invariances (i.e., continuities), e.g., ITR (Irreducible
Triadic Relation) and PDE (Planckian Distribution Equation), that are
manifest across a wide range of structures in the Universe, from atoms to
molecules, to cells, to brains, to linguistics, to economics, and to the
cosmos.
(*7*) Based on these observations, I came to postulate that, underlying
many, if not all, DISCONTINUITIES, there exist associated CONTINUITIES,
just as underlying every Yin there exists an associated Yang, according to
the Yin-Yang doctrine of the Daoist philosophy and also consistent with the
complementarity philosophy of Bohr [3] as generalized by S. Ji in the form
of complementarism [4]. If these speculations are valid, Peirce's
*synechism* (i.e. continuity; Yang) must have its complementary opposite
having the property of EMERGENCE (i.e., discontinuity; Yin) (see the
question mark in Table 1).
_________________________________________________________
Table 1. The *yin-yang duality of complex systems* named differently
in different fields of studies.
_________________________________________________________
Fields *Yin
Yang*
_________________________________________________________
1. Mathematics *Continuity Discontinuity*
_________________________________________________________
2. Physics *Invariance Emergence*
_________________________________________________________
3. Semiotics *Synechism ___?____ism*
_________________________________________________________
Any suggestions for the missing name ? Could "Semiosis" fulfill the role,
perhaps ?
All the best.
Sung
References:
[1] Finkenthal, M. (2008). Complexity, Multi-Disciplinarity, and
Beyond. Peter Lang, New York. Pp. 15-22.
[2] The concept of 'other-organization' was discussed on p. 17 in
Molecular Theory of the Living Cell: Concepts, Molecular Mechanisms, and
Biomedical Applications", Springer, New York, 2012.
[3] Plotnitsky, A. (2013). *Niels Bohr and Complementarity: An
Introduction*. Springer, New York.
[4] Ji, S. (1995). Complementarism: A Biology-Based Philosophical
Framework to Integrate Western Science and Eastern Tao, *in* *Psychotherapy
East and West: I**ntegration of Psychotherapies, *Korean Academy of
Psychotherapists, 178-23 Sungbuk-dong, Songbuk-ku, Seoul 136-020, Korea,
pp. 517-548.
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