Inpired by the Laser theory and founded by Hermann Haken and Arne Wunderlin, Synergetics is an interdisciplinary science explaining the formation and self-organization of patterns and structures in 'open' systems far from thermodynamic equilibrium. Self-organization requires a 'macroscopic' system, consisting of many nonlinearly interacting subsystems. Depending on the external control parameters (environment, energy-fluxes) self-organization takes place. Essential in Synergetics is the order-parameter concept which was originally introduced in the Ginzburg-Landau theory in order to describe phase-transitions in thermodynamics. The order parameter concept is generalized by Haken to the "enslaving-principle" saying that the dynamics of fast-relaxing (stable) modes is completely determined by the 'slow' dynamics of as a rule only a few 'order-parameters' (unstable modes). The order parameters can be interpreted as the amplitudes of the unstable modes determining the macroscopic pattern. As a consequence, self-organization means an enormous reduction of degrees of freedom (entropy) of the system which macroscopically reveals as increase of 'order' (pattern-formation). This far-reaching macroscopic order is independent on the details of the microscopic interactions of the subsystems. This is why Synergetics explains the self-organization of patterns in so many different systems in physics, chemistry, biology and even social systems.

• Synergetics can also refer to the following:

Synergetics' is a book by Buckminster Fuller, referring to the concept of either the output of a system not foreseen by the simple sum of the output of each system's part or simply, less used, another term for a negative entropy, or negentropy.

• • Tensegrity, as an applied mechanical concept of synergetics.
  • Synergetics is the name given to a system of self-discipline by Buckminster Fuller.^*.
  • Synergetics, a Belgian innovation company. Synergetics is an industry thought leader in the area of technological innovation of competencies. As a member of the organisations that work on the standardisation and direction of this industry (HR-XML Europe, eLIG, EifEL,…) Synergetics is the trustworthy partner of numerous innovation and research projects on a European and commercial level. Synergetics is developing a new generation of software based on international standards, ontologies, competencies and content management. The solutions Synergetics develops point the direction and set the pace in innovations in employee mobility, employee development (e-learning, competency management,…), content (management and development), new media and publishing.^*

Literature

---

• H. Haken: "Synergetics, an Introduction: Nonequilibrium Phase Transitions and Self-Organization in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology", 3rd rev. enl. ed. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1983.
• H. Haken: Advanced Synergetics: Instability Hierarchies of Self-Organizing Systems and Devices. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1993.
• H. Haken: Synergetik. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York 1982, ISBN 3-540-11050
• R. Graham, A. Wunderlin (Hrsg.): Lasers and Synergetics. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York 1987, ISBN 3-540-17940-2
• Korotayev A., Malkov A., Khaltourina D. Introduction to Social Macrodynamics: Compact Macromodels of the World System Growth. Moscow: URSS, 2006. ISBN 5-484-00414-4 ^*.

See also

---

• Homepage of the former Institute for Theoretical Physics and Synergetics (IFTPUS)
• Enslaving Principle
• J. Willard Gibbs
• Phase Rule
• Fokker-Planck equation
• Ginzburg-Landau theory

Holism | Cybernetics | Thermodynamics

Synergetik | Синергетика | 协同学