# Self-Propagating Systems

A self-propagating system is a system that tends to promote its
own survival and propagation. A hive of honeybees is a typical
example. A nation, a corporation, a labor union, a political party,
a school of thought, a social network, and a subculture are also
self-propagating system. I knew this concept by reading "Anti-Tech
Revolution: Why and How" by Ted Kaczynski.

He used this concept only for arguing why global technological
system will lead us a disaster, but I think this is a more valuable
concept. This concept shows us the recursive nature of the world.

> As above, so below
>
> Emerald Tablet

Recursive means the whole and its parts have self-similarity. In
recursion, we deal with the whole by referencing its self-similar
parts. For example, we can recursively define the factorial function
as n! = n * (n-1)!, 0! = 1. In this case, (n-1)! is a self-similar
part of n!.

To say exatly, a self-propagating is rather corecursion than
recursion. "Co" means categorical dual. Recursion is an analyzation,
but corecursion is a generation. In the last example, a corecursive
definition of the factorial function is 0! = 1, n * (n-1)! = n!.
The recursive definition ends at 0!, but the corecursive definition
starts at 0!. Although those are different, if we see them from
the perspective of self-similarity, both deal with a self-similar
structure. So I will say recursive, not corecursive.

The world is recursive. A cell is a self-prop system. It does
self-replicating by dividing itself. An individual is a society of
cells, but is also a self-prop system. Then individuals make a
family, an organization, a society, a species, an ecosystem. These
self-prop systems have self-similarity, so they are recursive. For
another example, quarks make a proton and a neutron. protons and
neutrons make a nuclear. a nuclear and electrons make an atom.
Atoms makes chemicals. In the end, galaxy comes. These are self-prop
systems. Quarks have strong force to form a nuclear. A nuclear and
electrons have electromagnetic force to form an atom. A planet have
its gravity to form a system, like the solar system. These examples
are physical, but I think mental and spiritual domains are recursive
too. For example, Marx once defined capital as self-expansion of
value.

Then some questions come out. How a self-prop system relates to a
recursive structure? It is clear that a self-prop system make a
recursive structure. Is the converse true? We can't describe a
self-similarity by a recursion if there is no end case, i.e. 0! =
1. But in a corecursion there is only the start case, not the end
case. It could not end in a finite time. So I think the converse
could be possible, but I'm not sure. Also, self-propagating is a
form of corecursion. So even if it is possible for a corecursion,
it could be impossible for self-propagating. The relations between
two are also interesting.

Ted Kaczynski also refered natural selection within the context of
self-prop systems. Self-prop systems, recursive structures and
natural selection are closely related. From what I found on wikipedia,
Universal Darwinism deals with non-biological applications of
Darwinism such as Cosmological natural selection. But I couldn't
find much reference on recursive structures from that. A complex
adaptive system (CAS) refers self-similarity, but it does not
emphasize that. This relations seem really interesting to research.
I think it could lead the truly unified understading of the world.