What Emergence Can Possibly Mean

TL;DR

This paper explores the concept of emergence in dynamic systems by classifying different types based on their relationships across levels, without relying on notions of novelty or surprise.

Contribution

It provides a new classification framework for emergence focusing on the relationships between system levels, independent of ontological novelty.

Findings

Classifies various forms of emergence based on level relationships

Proposes a perspective that does not depend on the novelty of higher-level properties

Offers a systematic approach to understanding emergence in dynamic systems

Abstract

We consider emergence from the perspective of dynamics: states of a system evolving with time. We focus on the role of a decomposition of wholes into parts, and attempt to characterize relationships between levels without reference to whether higher-level properties are "novel" or "unexpected." We offer a classification of different varieties of emergence, with and without new ontological elements at higher levels.