Self-organization is a process where some form of overall
order or coordination arises out of the local interactions between smaller component parts of an initially disordered system. The process of self-organization can be spontaneous, and it is not necessarily controlled by any auxiliary agent outside of the system. It is often triggered by random
fluctuations that are amplified by
positive feedback. The resulting organization is wholly decentralized or over all the components of the system. As such, the organization is typically
robust and able to survive and, even, self-repair substantial damage or perturbations.
Chaos theory discusses self-organization in terms of islands of
predictability in a sea of chaotic unpredictability. Self-organization occurs in a variety of physical, chemical, biological, robotic, social, and cognitive systems. Examples of its realization can be found in
crystallization, thermal
convection of fluids,
chemical oscillation, animal
swarming, and
neural networks.
