Editing Complex adaptive system (section)

=== Characteristics ===

Some of the most important characteristics of complex adaptive systems are:<ref>[[Paul Cilliers]] (1998) ''Complexity and Postmodernism: Understanding Complex Systems''</ref>

* The number of elements is sufficiently large that conventional descriptions (e.g. a system of [[differential equation]]s) are not only impractical, but cease to assist in understanding the system. Moreover, the elements interact dynamically, and the interactions can be physical or involve the exchange of information.
* Such interactions are rich, i.e. any element or sub-system in the system is affected by and affects several other elements or sub-systems.
* The interactions are [[non-linear]]: small changes in inputs, physical interactions or stimuli can cause large effects or very significant changes in outputs.
* Interactions are primarily but not exclusively with immediate neighbours and the nature of the influence is modulated.
* Any interaction can feed back onto itself directly or after a number of intervening stages. Such feedback can vary in quality.  This is known as ''recurrency.''
* The overall behavior of the system of elements is not predicted by the behavior of the individual elements 
* Such systems may be open and it may be difficult or impossible to define system boundaries
* Complex systems operate under [[Non-equilibrium thermodynamics|far from equilibrium]] conditions. There has to be a constant flow of energy to maintain the organization of the system
* Agents in the system are adaptive. They update their strategies in response to input from other agents, and the system itself.<ref name="Miller, John H., and Scott E. Page" />
* Elements in the system may be ignorant of the behaviour of the system as a whole, responding only to the information or physical stimuli available to them locally

[[Robert Axelrod (political scientist)|Robert Axelrod]] & [[Michael D. Cohen (academic)|Michael D. Cohen]] identify a series of key terms from a modeling perspective:<ref>[[Robert Axelrod (political scientist)|Robert Axelrod]] & [[Michael D. Cohen (academic)|Michael D. Cohen]], ''Harnessing Complexity''. [[Basic Books]], 2001</ref>
* '''Strategy''', a conditional action pattern that indicates what to do in which circumstances
* '''Artifact''', a material resource that has definite location and can respond to the action of agents
* '''Agent''', a collection of properties, strategies & capabilities for interacting with artifacts & other agents
* '''Population''', a collection of agents, or, in some situations, collections of strategies
* '''System''', a larger collection, including one or more populations of agents and possibly also artifacts
* '''Type''', all the agents (or strategies) in a population that have some characteristic in common
* '''Variety''', the diversity of types within a population or system
* '''Interaction pattern''', the recurring regularities of contact among types within a system
* '''Space (physical)''', location in geographical space & time of agents and artifacts
* '''Space (conceptual)''', "location" in a set of categories structured so that "nearby" agents will tend to interact
* '''Selection''', processes that lead to an increase or decrease in the frequency of various types of agent or strategies
* '''Success criteria''' or '''performance measures''', a "score" used by an agent or designer in attributing credit in the selection of relatively successful (or unsuccessful) strategies or agents

Turner and Baker synthesized the characteristics of complex adaptive systems from the literature and tested these characteristics in the context of creativity and innovation.<ref>Turner, J. R., & Baker, R. (2020). Just doing the do: A case study testing creativity and innovative processes as complex adaptive systems. New Horizons in Adult Education and Human Resource Development, 32(2). {{doi|10.1002/nha3.20283}}</ref> Each of these eight characteristics had been shown to be present in the creativity and innovative processes:
* '''Path dependent:''' Systems tend to be sensitive to their initial conditions. The same force might affect systems differently.<ref name="Combating infections at Maine Medic">{{cite journal | last1 = Lindberg | first1 = C. | last2 = Schneider | first2 = M. | year = 2013 | title = Combating infections at Maine Medical Center: Insights into complexity-informed leadership from positive deviance | journal = Leadership | volume = 9 | issue = 2| pages = 229–253 | doi = 10.1177/1742715012468784 | s2cid = 144225216 }}</ref>
* '''Systems have a history:''' The future behavior of a system depends on its initial starting point and subsequent history.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Boal | first1 = K. B. | last2 = Schultz | first2 = P. L. | year = 2007 | title = Storytelling, time, and evolution: The role of strategic leadership in complex adaptive systems | journal = The Leadership Quarterly | volume = 18 | issue = 4| pages = 411–428 | doi = 10.1016/j.leaqua.2007.04.008 }}</ref>
* '''Non-linearity:''' React disproportionately to environmental perturbations. Outcomes differ from those of simple systems.<ref name="Combating infections at Maine Medic"/><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Luoma | first1 = M | year = 2006 | title = A play of four arenas – How complexity can serve management development | journal = Management Learning | volume = 37 | pages = 101–123 | doi = 10.1177/1350507606058136 | s2cid = 14435060 }}</ref>
* '''Emergence:''' Each system's internal dynamics affect its ability to change in a manner that might be quite different from other systems.<ref name="Combating infections at Maine Medic"/>
* '''Irreducible:''' Irreversible process transformations cannot be reduced back to its original state.<ref name="Unravelling the dynamics of knowled">{{cite journal | last1 = Borzillo | first1 = S. | last2 = Kaminska-Labbe | first2 = R. | year = 2011 | title = Unravelling the dynamics of knowledge creation in communities of practice through complexity theory lenses | journal = Knowledge Management Research & Practice | volume = 9 | issue = 4| pages = 353–366 | doi = 10.1057/kmrp.2011.13 | s2cid = 62134156 }}</ref>
* '''Adaptive/Adaptability:''' Systems that are simultaneously ordered and disordered are more adaptable and resilient.<ref name="Combating infections at Maine Medic"/>
* '''Operates between order and chaos:''' Adaptive tension emerges from the energy differential between the system and its environment.<ref name="Unravelling the dynamics of knowled"/>
* '''Self-organizing:''' Systems are composed of interdependency, interactions of its parts, and diversity in the system.<ref name="Combating infections at Maine Medic"/>