Complexity science, also called complex systems science, studies how a large collection of components – locally interacting with each other at small scales – can spontaneously self-organize to exhibit non-trivial global structures and behaviors at larger scales, often without external intervention, central authorities or leaders. The properties of... See more

“Complexity science,” the SFI website explains, “attempts to find common mechanisms that lead to complexity in nominally distinct physical, biological, social, and technological systems.”