a glossary

Complex behavior: a system with multiple agents dynamically interacting in multiple ways, following local rule and oblivious to any higher level instructions (Johnson, Steven. 2002. Emergence : The connected lives of ants, brains, cities, and software. 1st Touchstone ed. New York. p.18). Emergent behavior: a higher-level pattern arising out of parallel complex interactions between local agents (Johnson, Steven. 2002. Emergence : The connected lives of ants, brains, cities, and software. 1st Touchstone ed. New York. p.19). Adaptive emergent behavior: the system would use local rules between interacting agents to create higher-level behavior well suited to its environment (Johnson, Steven. 2002. Emergence : The connected lives of ants, brains, cities, and software. 1st Touchstone ed ed. New York ; Toronto: Touchstone. p.19). Generative modeling: a shape is described by a sequence of processing steps, rather than just the end result of applying these operations. Shape design becomes rule design (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generative_Modelling_Language). Agent-based modeling: a computational model for simulating the actions and interactions of autonomous individuals in a network, with a view to assessing their effects on the system as a whole (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent-based_model). Semiology (also, Semiotics): the study of signs and symbols, especially as means of language or communication (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/semiotics). Agency: a philosophical concept of the capacity of an agent to act in a world (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agency_(philosophy)).