complex adaptive system
KOM-pleks ad-AP-tiv SIS-tem
/ˈkɒmplɛks ədˈæptɪv ˈsɪstəm/Listen
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Syllable breakdown
Dictionary meaning
A system composed of many interacting agents that adapt their behaviour based on experience and local information, giving rise to emergent collective behaviour; key features include feedback loops, nonlinearity, adaptation, and evolution; economies, immune systems, ecosystems, and cities are classic examples
History and origin
Formalised at the Santa Fe Institute by Murray Gell-Mann, John Holland, and others in the 1980s-90s; CAS theory became foundational in complexity science
Examples
- The global financial system is a complex adaptive system: individual traders adapt to market signals, yet crises can emerge unexpectedly.
- Epidemics are studied as complex adaptive systems because pathogens and host immune responses co-evolve.
Synonyms: CAS, adaptive complex system
Pronunciation tips
The abbreviation CAS is widely used; stress 'adaptive': ad-AP-tiv
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