Self-Organization of Complex Systems

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The basic laws of physics are simple, so why is the world complex? The theory of self-organized criticality posits that complex behavior in nature emerges from the dynamics of extended, dissipative systems that evolve through a sequence of meta-stable states into a critical state, with long range spatial and temporal correlations. Minor disturbances lead to intermittent events of all sizes. These events organize the system into a complex state that cannot be reduced to a few degrees of freedom. This type of ``punctuated equilibrium'' dynamics has been observed in astrophysical, geophysical, and biological processes, as well as in human social activity.