Generative systems

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Generative Systems refers to systems that use a few basic rules to yield extremely varied and unpredictable patterns. Conway's Game of Life is an excellent example of one such system: Cellular automaton. These systems can be found in music, Generative music, in art, Generative art, and, more recently, in video games such as Spore (video game).

Video game designer Will Wright and musician Brian Eno gave a superb talk on generative systems for the Long Now Foundation on June 26, 2006. The talk is available for free download at http://www.longnow.org/.

[Features of a Generative System][1]

Generativity of a system is premised on [five principle factors][2]:

(1) How extensively a system of technology leverages a set of possible tasks;

(2) How well it can be adapted to a range of tasks;

(3) How easily new contributors can master it;

(4) How accessable it is to those ready and able to build on it; and

(5) How transferable any changes are to others, including non-experts.

References

The Future of the Internet and How to Stop it; Yale University Press (2008) [3]