Sand Pile Theory

Sand Pile Theory describes how adding grains of sand to a pile can lead to sudden avalanches. As grains accumulate, the pile becomes steeper until reaching a critical slope. Once this point is exceeded, small disturbances can trigger an avalanche, moving sand and reducing the slope. This process repeats, creating a pattern of gradual buildup and sudden releases, illustrating how complex, unpredictable systems can self-organize around a critical threshold. It's used to understand phenomena like earthquakes, stock market fluctuations, and natural systems that exhibit similar burst-and-build behaviors.