Emergence and Universal Computation

Cassey Lee

Metroeconomica, 2004, vol. 55, issue 2‐3, 219-238

Abstract: Emergence refers to the spontaneous formation of higher level (macro) structures or patterns in complex systems. Attempts to formalize the notion of emergence via algorithmic complexity theory runs into the problem that the Kolmogorov complexity function is not computable. The reason for this motivates a closer examination of the link between emergence and universal computation. Following Wolfram's pioneering work in the classification of cellular automata behavior, the research programs of Langton and Crutchfield, while incomplete, provide important insights to economists seeking to understand the relevance of emergence and universal computation to their discipline. They lead to questions on the emergence of institutions and the concomitant changes in rule‐based behavior on the part of economic agents.

Date: 2004
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