Self-Organization

Self-stabilizing Algorithms in DAG Structured Networks

by Sebastien Tixeuil

Efficient Self-optimization of Neighbour Cell Lists in Macrocellular Networks

by Van Minh Nguyen

Co-authored with Holger Claussen (Bell Labs, Alcatel-Lucent, Dublin 15, Ireland)
In Proc. of the 21st Annual IEEE International Symposium on Personal, Indoor and Mobile Radio Communications, Istanbul 2010

The neighbour cell list (NCL) in cellular networks
has an important impact on the number of dropped calls andmore The neighbour cell list (NCL) in cellular networks
has an important impact on the number of dropped calls and
is traditionally optimized manually with the help of planning
tools. In this paper, a method for automatically optimizing a
NCL is presented, which consists of an initialization using a selfconfiguration phase, followed by a self-optimization phase that further refines the NCL based on measurements provided by
mobile stations during the network operation. The performance
of the proposed methods is evaluated for different user speeds
and different NCL sizes. Besides, the convergence speed of the
proposed self-optimization method is evaluated. It is shown that
when about 6000 measurements are reported by mobile stations,
the proposed self-optimization method attains a stable maximum
performance about 99% of success rate.

Concepts in Complexity II: Emergence and the Difference Between Order and Organization

by Jon Lawhead

Still very much a draft. 

This paper would not have been possible without the help of Daniel Estrada and Tim Ignaffo.

There are a number of contemporary scientific problems that can benefit from good metaphysical analysis and... more There are a number of contemporary scientific problems that can benefit from good metaphysical analysis and philosophical clarification.  This paper examines one of these problems—explaining the nature of self-organized emergent behavior in dynamical physical systems.  While discussions of emergence have long been the province of metaphysicians, recent advances in network theory and complex systems theory have begun to suggest that there is both philosophical and metaphysical work to be done here, and that a rigorous, mathematically-grounded account of emergence might serve as the foundation upon which we can construct a tremendous number of other novel contributions to our understanding of the world. 

This paper explores the conceptual connection between this mathematically rigorous account of “strong emergence” (developed primarily by Yaneer Bar-Yam) and the still somewhat murky notion of self-organized systems.  I argue that a clear scientific understanding of emergence leads to a natural way of understanding the metaphysics of self-organization and (more generally) the difference between order and organization.  All three of these notions are central to the nascent field of complex systems theory, and getting a strong grasp on their conceptual relationships would represent not only a significant step toward developing a cohesive metaphysics of complex systems, but would also provide the theoretical tools necessary for continued philosophical and scientific work in that area. 

Given the sheer number (and diversity) of fields that stand to benefit from complexity-theoretic insights, this is work that urgently needs to be done.

Reanimating anarchist geographies: a new burst of colour

by Simon Springer

Springer S, Ince A, Pickerill J, Brown G, and Barker A. Forthcoming. Reanimating anarchist geographies: a new burst of colour. Antipode: A Radical Journal of Geography.

The late 19th century saw a burgeoning of geographical writings from influential anarchist thinkers like Peter... more The late 19th century saw a burgeoning of geographical writings from influential anarchist thinkers like Peter Kropotkin and Élisée Reclus. Yet despite the vigorous intellectual debate sparked by the works of these two individuals, following their deaths anarchist ideas within geography faded. It was not until the 1970s that anarchism was once again given serious consideration by academic geographers who, in laying the groundwork for what is today known as ‘radical geography’, attempted to reintroduce anarchism as a legitimate political philosophy. Unfortunately, quiet followed once more, and although numerous contemporary radical geographers employ a sense of theory and practice that shares many affinities with anarchism, direct engagement with anarchist ideas among academic geographers have been limited. As contemporary global challenges push anarchist theory and practice back into widespread currency, geographers need to rise to this occasion and begin (re)mapping the possibilities of what anarchist perspectives might yet contribute to the discipline.

Complexity and Information: Measuring Emergence, Self-organization, and Homeostasis at Multiple Scales

by Nelson Fernández

Co-authored with Carlos Gershenson. Submitted to Complexity.

Concepts used in the scientific study of complex systems have become so widespread that their use and abuse has led to... more Concepts used in the scientific study of complex systems have become so widespread that their use and abuse has led to ambiguity and confusion in their meaning. In this paper we use information theory to provide abstract and concise measures of complexity, emergence, self-organization, and homeostasis. The purpose is to clarify the meaning of these concepts with the aid of the proposed formal measures. In a simplified version of the measures (focussing on the information produced by a system), emergence becomes the opposite of self-organization, while complexity represents their balance. We use computational experiments on random Boolean networks and elementary cellular automata to illustrate our measures at multiple scales.

Blue-phase templated fabrication of three-dimensional nanostructures for photonic applications

by Flynn Castles

Published in 'Nature Materials'

F. Castles, F. V. Day, S. M. Morris, D-H. Ko, D. J. Gardiner, M. M. Qasim, S. Nosheen, P. J. W. Hands, S. S. Choi, R.... more F. Castles, F. V. Day, S. M. Morris, D-H. Ko, D. J. Gardiner, M. M. Qasim, S. Nosheen, P. J. W. Hands, S. S. Choi, R. H. Friend, and H. J. Coles

Official link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nmat3330

A promising approach to the fabrication of materials with nanoscale features is the transfer of liquid-crystalline structure to polymers. However, this has not been achieved in systems with full three-dimensional periodicity. Here we demonstrate the fabrication of self-assembled three-dimensional nanostructures by polymer templating blue phase I, a chiral liquid crystal with cubic symmetry. Blue phase I was photopolymerized and the remaining liquid crystal removed to create a porous free-standing cast, which retains the chiral three-dimensional structure of the blue phase, yet contains no chiral additive molecules. The cast may in turn be used as a hard template for the fabrication of new materials. By refilling the cast with an achiral nematic liquid crystal, we created templated blue phases that have unprecedented thermal stability in the range −125 to 125 °C, and that act as both mirrorless lasers and switchable electro-optic devices. Blue-phase templated materials will facilitate advances in device architectures for photonics applications in particular.

Emergence And Self-Organization In Urban Structures

by Kinda Al Sayed

Authors:

Al-Sayed K,Turner A

Research on urban growth divides into two strands that barely come together. The first strand is aligned to the view... more Research on urban growth divides into two strands that barely come together. The first strand is aligned to the view that an understanding of cities as socio-spatial phenomena is indispensable for any sensible modelling approach. The second strand is established on assumption-based computational modelling with the perspective that without testing our understanding by reconstructing the phenomena we cannot verify our theoretical propositions about it. It is clear to our understanding that by bridging these two strands we can subject the explanatory models of cities to experimental testing. We acknowledge however the need to explain urban dynamics as a process rather than as an end product for us to base our assumptions on solid evidence. In search for evidence on laws that capture urban dynamics we outline invariants in the historical evolution of two urban structures. The invariants indicate to two processes that govern city growth; a generative process that contributes to structural differentiation and a process of self-organisation that is seen to resemble reaction-diffusion systems famously known in chemistry and biology. At this stage, we cannot verify whether these invariants constitute spatial laws in themselves or whether these invariants are a side effect of another more implicit process. Nonetheless, we assume that the presence of these invariants is conditional for a grid structure to be admitted to the class of natural urban systems. In that, the invariants serve as measures for the characterisation of urban pattern recognition.

Metabolic cost as an organizing principle for cooperative learning

by David Balduzzi

This paper investigates how a population of neuron-like agents can use metabolic cost to communicate the importance of... more This paper investigates how a population of neuron-like agents can use metabolic cost to communicate the importance of their actions. Although decision-making by individual agents has been extensively studied, questions regarding how agents should behave to cooperate effectively remain largely unaddressed. Under assumptions that capture a few basic features of cortical neurons, we show that constraining reward maximization by metabolic cost aligns the information content of actions with their expected reward. Thus, metabolic cost provides a mechanism whereby agents encode expected reward into their outputs. Further, aside from reducing energy expenditures, imposing a tight metabolic constraint also increases the accuracy of empirical estimates of rewards, increasing the robustness of distributed learning. Finally, we present two implementations of metabolically constrained learning that confirm our theoretical finding. These results suggest that metabolic cost may be an organizing principle underlying the neural code, and may also provide a useful guide to the design and analysis of other cooperating populations.

Knowledge flows in self-organizing processes

by Harri Laihonen

Self-organizing processes in top management teams: A boolean comparative approach

by Georges Romme

Published in: Journal of Business Research, 1995

Studies of top management are scattered over a number of separate research traditions. In this study a model of... more Studies of top management are scattered over a number of separate research traditions. In this study a model of self-organizing processes in top management teams is developed that may stimulate the dialogue between these separate research traditions. This model builds on several theoretical ideas from the field of self-organizing systems, and starts from the logic of process theory (instead of variance theory). The second contribution of this study is describing Boolean comparison as a rigorous method for testing process theories on the basis of qualitative evidence from case studies. In this respect, Boolean comparison may compensate for some of the weaknesses of the conventional approach to comparative case studies by systematically addressing a larger number of cases without forsaking complexity too much. In addition, Boolean comparison systematically structures the kind of dialogue between theory and evidence typically found in comparative case study research. The third contribution is exploring the opportunities and limits of Boolean comparison in the context of an empirical study of self-organizing processes in top management teams, based on the model described earlier. This application of the Boolean method suggests it is an effective analytical technique, as long as it not used mechanically but as an aid to interpretive analysis.

Applying two-stage SOM-based clustering approaches to industrial data analysis

by Cheikhrouhou Naoufel

Trois Générations de Théories de la Complexité: Nuances et Ambiguités

by Michel Alhadeff-Jones

Alhadeff-Jones, M. (2008). Trois Générations de Théories de la Complexité: Nuances et Ambiguités. Programme Européen MCX “Modélisation de la Complexité”. Disponible à l’adresse: http://www.mcxapc.org/docs/conseilscient/0805michel.pdf

Le recours contemporain à la notion de "complexité" renvoie fréquemment à des démarches ayant tendance à... more Le recours contemporain à la notion de "complexité" renvoie fréquemment à des démarches ayant tendance à unifier sa définition. En langue anglaise, sa réduction à une forme singulière (complexity theory ou complexity science) s'avère ainsi susceptible de masquer la variété des théories permettant de rendre compte des implications inhérentes au recours à cette notion. Cet article, en prenant en considération à la fois les traditions de recherche latines et anglosaxonnes, associées à la notion de complexité, suggère une approche plus nuancée, évitant la simplification de cette notion à certaines des conceptions dominantes qui y sont associées. Partant d'une approche étymologique, cet article propose d'envisager de façon chronologique l'émergence de trois générations de théories de la complexité; ce faisant, certains de leurs enracinements épistémologiques et socio-culturels sont introduits. D'un point de vue épistémologique, la réflexion proposée met en évidence certaines des interprétations hétérogènes sous-jacentes à la définition de ce qui est perçu comme complexe. Suivant une perspective anthropologique, ce texte évoque également la portée à la fois émancipatrice et asservissante susceptible d'être associée à l'idée de complexité. Sur la base des ambiguitiés mises en évidence, cet article suggère finalement de concevoir les contributions renvoyant aux théories contemporaines de la complexité, au même titre que la remise en question de leur légitimité épistémologique et éthique, à partir des boucles et des dynamiques dont elles sont constitutives. Ce faisant, les chercheurs et les praticiens en Sciences de l'éducation devraient considérer leurs pratiques en tant que processus
d'apprentissage dont la complexité renvoie autant aux transformations qu'ils étudient ou provoquent, qu'aux transformations inhérentes aux systèmes de représentations
auxquels ils ont recours pour les conceptualiser. 

Three Generations of Complexity Theories: Nuances and Ambiguities

by Michel Alhadeff-Jones

Alhadeff-Jones, M. (2008). Three Generations of Complexity Theories: Nuances and Ambiguities. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 40, 1, 66-82.

The contemporary use of the term ‘complexity’ frequently indicates that it is considered a unified concept. This may... more The contemporary use of the term ‘complexity’ frequently indicates that it is considered a unified concept. This may lead to a neglect of the range of different theories that deal with the implications related to the notion of complexity. This paper, integrating both the English and the Latin traditions of research associated with this notion, suggests a more nuanced use of the term, thereby avoiding simplification of the concept to some of its dominant expressions only. The paper further explores the etymology of ‘complexity’ and offers a chronological presentation of three generations of theories that have shaped its uses; the epistemic and socio-cultural roots of these theories are also introduced. From an epistemological point of view, this reflection sheds light on the competing interpretations underlying the definition of what is considered as complex. Also, from an anthropological perspective it considers both the emancipatory as well as the alienating dimensions of complexity. Based on the highlighted ambiguities, the paper suggests in conclusion that contributions grounded in contemporary theories related to complexity, as well as critical appraisals of their epistemological and ethical legitimacy, need to follow the recursive feedback loops and dynamics that they constitute. In doing so, researchers and practitioners in education should consider their own practice as a learning process that does not require the reduction of the antagonisms and the complementarities that shape its own complexity.

Domination, self-determination and circular organizing

by Georges Romme

Published in: Organization Studies, 1999

The emergence of self-organizing forms of control, based on the idea of self-determination, have challenged... more The emergence of self-organizing forms of control, based on the idea of self-determination, have challenged traditional forms of control based on the concept of domination. As such, self-determination has been put forward as an alternative rather than as a complement to domination. This paper describes and explores the circular forms of organizing that have been emerging in several parts of the world, viewing them as a possible synthesis of two existing archetypical concepts of power-self-determination and domination. In particular, the emergence of circular organizing in the Dutch company Endenburg Elektrotechniek is documented and interpreted. This case illustrates how a circular structure can be superimposed on the administrative hierarchy, with the latter continuing to play a substantial role in controlling and managing work processes. In the absence of a single ultimate authority, organizational control is exercised through feedback rather than power. As a result of this study, circularity of power is shown to be an interesting theoretical and instrumental concept.

Decentralised reinforcement learning for energy-efficient scheduling in wireless sensor networks

by Mihail Mihaylov

Mihaylov, M., Le Borgne, Y-A., Tuyls, K. and Nowé, A. (2012) ‘Decentralised reinforcement learning for energy-efficient scheduling in wireless sensor networks’, International Journal of Communication Networks and Distributed Systems, Vol. 9, Nos. 3/4, pp.207–224.

We present a self-organising reinforcement learning (RL) approach for scheduling the wake-up cycles of nodes in a... more We present a self-organising reinforcement learning (RL) approach for scheduling the wake-up cycles of nodes in a wireless sensor network. The approach is fully decentralised, and allows sensor nodes to schedule their active periods based only on their interactions with neighbouring nodes. Compared to standard scheduling mechanisms such as SMAC, the benefits of the proposed approach are twofold. First, the nodes do not need to synchronise explicitly, since synchronisation is achieved by the successful exchange of data messages in the data collection process. Second, the learning process allows nodes competing for the radio channel to desynchronise in such a way that radio interferences and therefore packet collisions are significantly reduced. This results in shorter communication schedules, allowing to not only reduce energy consumption by reducing the wake-up cycles of sensor nodes, but also to decrease the data retrieval latency. We implement this RL approach in the OMNET++ sensor network simulator, and illustrate how sensor nodes arranged in line, mesh and grid topologies autonomously uncover schedules that favour the successful delivery of messages along a routing tree while avoiding interferences.

Timbuktu und die selbstorganisierenden Gesellschaften der Vorzeit

by Douglas Park 

Douglas P. Park (2012). WESPENNEST Vol. 162.

This is an article written for popular consumption and published in German in the widely circulated Austrian publication WESPENNEST. Official print publication will be available in May 2012:

Article title in English is: Timbuktu and the Self-Organizing Societies of the Ancient World Article title in English is: Timbuktu and the Self-Organizing Societies of the Ancient World

Self-Organization in Primates: Understanding the Rules Underlying Collective Movements

by Cedric Sueur

A rule-of-thumb based on social affiliation explains collective movements in desert baboons

by Cedric Sueur

From the first intention movement to the last joiner: macaques combine mimetic rules to optimize their collective decisions

by Cedric Sueur

Grow without ill

by Marcelo Manucci

The concern to keep levels of economic performance maintaining personal well-being conditions is a topic of major... more The concern to keep levels of economic performance maintaining personal well-being conditions is a topic of major interest in most organizations under the current conditions of life context and the demands of production. On the one hand, it is clear the limit of growth rates in many manufacturing sectors in all regions of the world. Furthermore, due to global interdependence the instability is present in all levels of decision.