Chemical organization theory: towards a theory of constructive dynamical systems

TL;DR

This paper introduces Chemical Organization Theory, a framework for understanding complex dynamical networks by defining stable component sets and linking system dynamics to these structures, aiding in the analysis of evolving systems.

Contribution

It proposes a novel theoretical approach that characterizes system stability and dynamics through chemical organizations, offering a new perspective on complex reaction networks.

Findings

Defines chemical organizations as stable, self-maintaining sets of components.

Connects system dynamics with the evolution of organizations in state space.

Provides a new structural view of complex reaction networks.

Abstract

Complex dynamical networks consisting of many components that interact and produce each other are difficult to understand, especially, when new components may appear. In this paper we outline a theory to deal with such systems. The theory consists of two parts. The first part introduces the concept of a chemical organization as a closed and mass-maintaining set of components. This concept allows to map a complex (reaction) network to the set of organizations, providing a new view on the system's structure. The second part connects dynamics with the set of organizations, which allows to map a movement of the system in state space to a movement in the set of organizations.