totalistic

Totalistic is an adjective used in various disciplines to describe dependence on total quantities rather than arrangement. In mathematics and computer science, a totalistic function or rule is one whose output depends only on the total sum of inputs in a specified neighborhood, not on their spatial pattern. In cellular automata, totalistic rules determine a cell's next state from the sum of the states of its neighboring cells (and sometimes the center cell). The rule is specified by a set of total counts that produce a given state, allowing diverse behaviors while ignoring the exact location of contributing cells. This contrasts with non-totalistic rules, which rely on specific configurations regardless of the sum.

In other contexts, totalistic describes approaches that emphasize totality or wholeness within a system. In social sciences or religious studies, a totalistic perspective may refer to theories or movements that seek to integrate or regulate all aspects of an entity, or that interpret phenomena in terms of a single totalizing framework. The term is etymologically derived from Latin totalis meaning whole and the English suffix -istic. See also discussions of cellular automata and totalistic rules, as well as broader discussions of totalitarian or totalizing frameworks in various fields.