There’s a joke that cracks me up:
“Do you know that, earlier than the clock was invented, folks needed to actively roam round and ask folks the time?”
There’s clearly no want to elucidate the joke, but when we had been to overthink it a bit of bit (like good mathematicians do) we are able to say that the joke is about the truth that the knowledge of a particle of a gaggle can be utilized to tell all the opposite particles. This idea is definitely method deeper than the joke I simply stated and might be exploited additional.
Let’s take into account a self-organized system, akin to hen flocking or fish education. We are able to outline this method as one product of particles (e.g. a particle is a hen). We are able to additionally assume with a very good diploma of approximation that these particles transfer round in area adjusting their positions primarily based on two elements:
- One of the best place that the particular particle is aware of: what the hen thinks is finest for themselves.
- The international finest place that’s given by all of the particles “speaking” with one another: what the hen is instructed to do by the “principal hen”