Structural transitions in an open non-equilibrium system

This paper attempts a grand challenge of computer simulation that goes beyond the conventional passive role as a simple nonlinear solver and explores an uncultivated field of complexity. As the first step of this challenge, we focus on self-organization that arises in open many-body systems. By doing simulations on many self-organizing phenomena evolving from various basic interaction forces and comparing their global behaviors elaborately we extract common and generic dynamical structural laws governing them. Then, we come up with working hypotheses of 'punctuated evolution', 'maximum entropy production' and 'transitional symptoms'.