Dekoherenssia

Dekoherenssia is a concept used in discussions of complex systems to describe a state in which coherence across subsystems deteriorates, resulting in irregular, nonuniform dynamics and reduced integrative control. The term is a neologism that has appeared mainly in theoretical and speculative writings rather than in established empirical science.

Origins and usage: The term is said to have emerged in the early 2010s within discussions of modular design, organizational theory, and sociotechnical systems, where it is used to distinguish localized coherence within modules from systemic coherence across modules.

Conceptual framework: In dekoherenssia, coupling between modules is weak or irregular due to mismatched timescales, information bottlenecks, or conflicting objectives. Proponents sometimes describe a coherence index C that ranges from 0 to 1 to quantify cross-domain alignment; a low C signals dekoherenssia.

Implications: In engineering, the concept is used to warn against excessive aggregation and to motivate deliberate interfaces; in social science, it helps explain fragmentation of institutional logics; in cognitive science, it informs models of distributed processing with limited integration.

Criticism: The term lacks formal mathematical grounding and is frequently used metaphorically. Critics argue that it risks conflating distinct phenomena, and that a precise operational definition remains elusive.

See also: coherence, decoherence, modularity, complex systems, information theory.