What does the video mean by emergence?

Conditions

• The definition applies to patterns produced by interacting agents.
• The clip does not give a formal mathematical definition beyond the verbal description.

Reasoning, step by step

1. Identify the source of the pattern: interactions among agents.
2. Note that the pattern is not found in any single agent.
3. Conclude that the whole is more than the sum of its parts.

Example

The narrator says, "It's called emergence," and defines an emergent phenomenon as a pattern that pops up from the interactions of the agents but is not found in any single agent.

Common misconceptions

• An emergent pattern can be understood by inspecting one agent alone.
• Emergence requires a central planner to coordinate the agents.

Watch the explanation

Explore next

• How can a cluster form if no rule says to form a cluster?
• Why are agent-based models useful if all models are wrong?