AGGREGATION 1
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 64 ▶ |
| Object type | General information |
A progressive process of interconnections between formerly unconnected elements or systems.
Aggregation is related to the existence of a critical distance between the elements. The process takes place when crowding becomes such as to hinder the fully independent relation of each element with its proper environment.
A famous example of aggregation — in living systems — is the life cycle of the slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum. The growing proximity of the individual amoebas (due to a combination of population explosive growth and the exhaustion of food) induces reciprocal perception of biochemical products and gregarious reactions leading to social behavior, in accordance with H. PATTEE's statistical closure. Aggregation thus seems to be a process basic for the shaping of social living systems.
One wonders if the massive intercommunication process presently in progress between human groups does not herald global mankind aggregation in the same way.