Dautoorganisation

Dautoorganisation, also spelled autoorganisation or self-organization, is the process by which order and structure arise in a system from the local interactions of its parts without external direction. It describes how global patterns, structures, or behaviors can emerge from simple, local rules applied to many constituents. Emergent properties are typically not predictable from the behavior of individual components.

Dautoorganisation relies on feedback, nonlinear interactions, and continuous energy or information flow through the system. Local interactions under appropriate conditions can amplify small fluctuations and lead to macroscopic order, a phenomenon often described using nonlinear dynamics, dissipative structures, or swarm-like behavior. Key ingredients include decentralization, connectivity, parallel processing, and sometimes constraints or driving forces that keep the system far from equilibrium.

Examples occur across disciplines: in physics, Benard convection cells and Turing patterns in reaction-diffusion systems; in chemistry, autocatalytic reactions that form spatio-temporal patterns; in biology, morphogenesis and the collective motion of flocks or neural networks; in computing, cellular automata and swarm robotics; in social systems, traffic flow, crowds, and market dynamics.

The study of self-organization is a central topic in complex systems science, with theoretical frameworks such as synergetics (G. Haken), Prigogine’s dissipative structures, and agent-based modeling. It has descriptive and explanatory aims, while practical work assesses whether observed systems are driven to self-organize by internal dynamics or influenced by external controls. Limitations include sensitivity to initial conditions and noise, and the challenge of distinguishing true self-organization from externally driven structuring.