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Research Article
The sigma profile: A formal tool to study organization and its evolution at multiple scales
Article first published online: 10 NOV 2010
DOI: 10.1002/cplx.20350
Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Additional Information
How to Cite
Gershenson, C. (2011), The sigma profile: A formal tool to study organization and its evolution at multiple scales. Complexity, 16: 37–44. doi: 10.1002/cplx.20350
Publication History
- Issue published online: 15 MAY 2011
- Article first published online: 10 NOV 2010
- Manuscript Accepted: 25 AUG 2010
- Manuscript Revised: 12 AUG 2010
- Manuscript Received: 14 APR 2010
- Abstract
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Keywords:
- evolution;
- complexity;
- cooperation;
- organization
Abstract
The σ profile is presented as a tool to analyze the organization of systems at different scales, and how this organization changes in time. Describing structures at different scales as goal-oriented agents, one can define σ ∈ [0,1] (satisfaction) as the degree to which the goals of each agent at each scale have been met. σ reflects the organization degree at that scale. The σ profile of a system shows the satisfaction at different scales, with the possibility to study their dependencies and evolution. It can also be used to extend game theoretic models. The description of a general tendency on the evolution of complexity and cooperation naturally follows from the σ profile. Experiments on a virtual ecosystem are used as illustration.