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6.3 Synergetic Principles of Self-Organization
Self-organization is the phenomenon of spontaneous formation of structure in
systems of different physical nature. Under the spontaneous emergence of structure
we will mean the emergence of an ordered state in an initially random distribution
of system components without any apparent external influence. Ordered states in
the general case can be spatially uneven distribution of the material components of
the system persistent in time, undamped oscillations of concentrations of compo-
nents of the system when they oscillate between two or more values, more complex
forms of ordered collective behavior of components. Structure formation is equally
inherent in both the physical devices such as lasers and chemical reaction media, as
well as in biological tissues, communities of living organisms, geological and
meteorological processes, and social phenomena of human society. Self-
organization mechanisms are different in systems of different nature, but neverthe-
less, they all share some common structural and dynamic characteristics.
Different, and often sharply different from each other, levels of complexity of
self-organization can correspond to systems of different nature. This complexity is
determined by the nature of the self-organizing system—the complexity of its
structure and behavior and the dynamic mechanisms of interaction between the
components. Thus, more complex collective behavior of insects (bees, termites,
ants), as compared to bacteria and viruses, underlies much more complex processes
of self-organizing behavior in the community of collective insects.
Particular manifestations of self-organization at relatively simple levels of its
complexity can serve as an integral part of the phenomena at a more sophisticated
level.
In a fairly complex in terms of its structure community of ants, several aspects of
self-organization at different levels can be distinguished. First of all, this applies to
the construction of the dwelling—ant heap. It is known that ant individuals release
in the process of their life strongly smelling substances—pheromones. They attract
other ants and thus serve, in particular, as a means for controlling the construction
process. Placing the initial construction material more or less randomly, the first
individuals leave on them traces of pheromones. They serve as a guide for subse-
quent individuals who also emit pheromones. As a result a complicated structure
arises (Fig.
6.7
).
Individuals who depart from the ant heap in search of food initially move
randomly, emitting faint traces of pheromones. But when the individual finds
food and carries a part of it to the anthill, pheromone release increases sharply.
The smell attracts other individuals nearby who take part in the delivery of food and
further reinforce the smell of the paved trail. Thus, the process of food delivery self-
organizes, leading to targeted behavior in the community (Fig.
6.8
).
Finally, another result of self-organization with more complex mechanisms can
be identified. In the process of evolution of ants random mutation of individuals
occurred which, in essence, is analogous to bifurcations in the evolution of physical
systems. In the course of the natural selection, the mutated individuals were either
