Definition

Emergent behaviors are patterns that emerge at the system level, which are not directly attributable to the properties of individual components.

Some properties

1. Non-reductionist: cannot be understood or predicted by breaking down the system into its parts. The system needs to be examined as a whole
2. Self-organisation: this is where local interactions lead to global patterns. No central control
3. Scale sensitivity: what emerges at scale level 1 might not be observable at scale level 2
4. Feedback loops: negative or positive feedback loops can reinforce, or regulate a behavior out of existence.

Examples

• Traffic patterns emerging from individual drivers' behaviors
• Market trends emerging from individual economic decisions
• Weather patterns emerging from countless local atmospheric interactions