It was here, it appeared, that the agents within a system conducted the fullest range of productive interactions and exchanged the greatest amount of useful information. The edge of chaos , but not quite chaos itself. Dr. Kauffman discerned mathematics that described these dynamics. Systems seemed to ignite, to take wing suddenly, when the density of the connections between agents in the systems reached a critical value. He also joined the Santa Fe Institute, a think tank for complexity studies, where he crossed into new disciplines with physicists, economists, mathematicians and computer scientists.
Negotiations are still under way.
If a group does form, the open flow of information, just as in any complex adaptive system, will be key. The real power is in the sharing. Dr. Kauffman is the first to allow that his ideas may not bear up in business. But already, the futility of prediction in a complex world is proving the virtue of adapting from within. But if Dr. Kauffman and his partners succeed with the science, business leaders may come to realize that the safest place of all lies at the edge of chaos .