FUNCTION CONSTRUCTION
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 1353 ▶ |
| Object type | General information, Human sciences, Methodology or model |
The synthesis of a higher level function through interactions between elemental units.
J. ERCEAU AND J. FERBER explain that “… elementary units show specific behaviors that do not necessarily coincide with subfunctions of the desired function. This latter will emerge from interactions between elementary units” (see eco-behavior), and, expressing that this is a bottom-up approach… “The system does organize itself in order to react adequately in every case, which makes it flexible. Moreover a breakdown of one unit does not impair the global working of the whole, which makes the system robust” (1991, p.755).
While the authors thus describe a property of distributed artificial intelligence systems, the similarity with complex social functions in human groups and societies is striking.