Free Energy Rate Density and Self-organization in Complex Systems

Abstract

One of the most important tasks in science is to understand the self-organization's arrow of time. To attempt this we utilize the connection between self-organization and non-equilibrium thermodynamics. Eric Chaisson calculated an exponential increase of Free Energy Rate Density (FERD) in Cosmic Evolution, from the Big Bang until now, paralleling the increase of system's structure. We term these studies "Devology". We connect FERD to the principle of least action for complex systems, driving their increase of action efficiency. We study CPUs as a specific system in which the organization, the total amount of action and FERD are connected in a positive feedback loop, providing exponential growth of all three and power law relations between them. This is a deep connection, reaching to the first principles of physics: the least action principle and the second law of thermodynamics. We propose size-density and complexity-density rules in addition to the established size-complexity one.