Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Self-Organizing Systems

The Emergence of Order

  • Book
  • © 1987

Overview

Editors:
  1. F. Eugene Yates

    1. Crump Institute for Medical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA

    View editor publications

    You can also search for this editor in PubMed   Google Scholar

  2. Alan Garfinkel

    1. Department of Kinesiology, Univesity of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA

    View editor publications

    You can also search for this editor in PubMed   Google Scholar

  3. Donald O. Walter

    1. Chemical Electrophysiology Laboratory Neuropsychiatric Institute and Hospital, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA

    View editor publications

    You can also search for this editor in PubMed   Google Scholar

  4. Gregory B. Yates

    1. Crump Institute for Medical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA

    View editor publications

    You can also search for this editor in PubMed   Google Scholar

Part of the book series: Life Science Monographs (LSMO)

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this book

Log in via an institution
eBook USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

Licence this eBook for your library

Institutional subscriptions

Table of contents (31 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages vii-xix
    Download chapter PDF

  2. General Introduction

    1. General Introduction

      • F. Eugene Yates
      Pages 1-14

  3. Examples of Evolving Physical Systems

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 15-15
      Download chapter PDF

    2. On Origins Galaxies, Stars, Life

      • Harry Soodak
      Pages 17-31

    3. On Rivers

      • Arthur S. Iberall
      Pages 33-47

  4. Genesis and Evolution of Life

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 49-52
      Download chapter PDF

    2. A Hardware View of Biological Organization

      • Harold J. Morowitz
      Pages 53-64

    3. The Origin of Self-Replicating Molecules

      • Leslie E. Orgel
      Pages 65-74

    4. Self-Organization of Macromolecules

      • Peter Schuster, Karl Sigmund
      Pages 75-111

    5. Is a New and General Theory of Evolution Emerging?

      • Stephen J. Gould
      Pages 113-130

  5. Differentiation, Morphogenesis, and Death of Organisms

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 131-132
      Download chapter PDF

    2. Virus Assembly and Its Genetic Control

      • William B. Wood
      Pages 133-151

    3. Molecular Biology in Embryology

      • Vladimir GliÅ¡in, Ana Savić, Radomir Crkvenjakov, Sabera Ruždijić, Nevenka Bajković-MoÅ¡kov
      Pages 153-165

    4. Developing Organisms as Self-Organizing Fields

      • Brian C. Goodwin
      Pages 167-180

    5. The Slime Mold Dictyostelium as a Model of Self-Organization in Social Systems

      • Alan Garfinkel
      Pages 181-213

    6. The Orderly Decay of Order in the Regulation of Aging Processes

      • Caleb E. Finch
      Pages 213-236

  6. Networks, Neural Organization, and Behavior

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 237-239
      Download chapter PDF

    2. On a Class of Self-Organizing Communication Networks

      • Richard Bellman, Ramin Roosta
      Pages 241-244

    3. Neural Circuits for Generating Rhythmic Movements

      • Gunther S. Stent
      Pages 245-263

    4. Ordered Retinotectal Projections and Brain Organization

      • Christoph von der Malsburg
      Pages 265-277
Back to top

Keywords

About this book

Technological systems become organized by commands from outside, as when human intentions lead to the building of structures or machines. But many nat­ ural systems become structured by their own internal processes: these are the self­ organizing systems, and the emergence of order within them is a complex phe­ nomenon that intrigues scientists from all disciplines. Unfortunately, complexity is ill-defined. Global explanatory constructs, such as cybernetics or general sys­ tems theory, which were intended to cope with complexity, produced instead a grandiosity that has now, mercifully, run its course and died. Most of us have become wary of proposals for an "integrated, systems approach" to complex matters; yet we must come to grips with complexity some­ how. Now is a good time to reexamine complex systems to determine whether or not various scientific specialties can discover common principles or properties in them. If they do, then a fresh, multidisciplinary attack on the difficulties would be a valid scientific task. Believing that complexity is a proper scientific issue, and that self-organizing systems are the foremost example, R. Tomovic, Z. Damjanovic, and I arranged a conference (August 26-September 1, 1979) in Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia, to address self-organizing systems. We invited 30 participants from seven countries. Included were biologists, geologists, physicists, chemists, mathematicians, bio­ physicists, and control engineers. Participants were asked not to bring manu­ scripts, but, rather, to present positions on an assigned topic. Any writing would be done after the conference, when the writers could benefit from their experi­ ences there.

Editors and Affiliations

  • Crump Institute for Medical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA

    F. Eugene Yates, Gregory B. Yates

  • Department of Kinesiology, Univesity of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA

    Alan Garfinkel

  • Chemical Electrophysiology Laboratory Neuropsychiatric Institute and Hospital, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA

    Donald O. Walter

Bibliographic Information

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Back to top

Search

Navigation