collective phenomena

Collective phenomena refer to situations where individual components of a system, like people, atoms, or animals, interact and produce behaviors or patterns that are different from or greater than the sum of their parts. For example, a flock of birds seamlessly changing direction together or a crowd suddenly bursting into applause. These phenomena emerge because of the interactions among individuals, leading to organized, coordinated behavior at the group level. Understanding collective phenomena helps us see how complex, organized patterns can arise naturally from simple local interactions without central control.