Swarm Behavior

An evocative example of emergence found in simple agents such as birds, ants, or fish.

Swarm Behavior (sometimes called ‘flocking behavior’) is a collective behavior displayed by a large group of self motivated agents. This behavior is exhibited by the agents as they follow a set of rules that can include observing their neighbors and being steered by their neighboring behavior (see Stigmergy). Swarming is an emergent behavior seen in natural phenomena like flocking birds, ant colony behavior, or schools of fish. However, swarm behavior is no longer confined to natural agents.Swarm behavior can now be coded into mathematical simulations by engineers, or used in scientific simulation models for research purposes.

Example:

Craig Reynolds 1986 “Boids” program from was the first computer simulation to capture the dynamics of swarm behavior (see LINK) . Boids stands for Bird-Oid Object, alluding to the fact that the simulation is meant to emulate the swarm behavior in flocks of birds. The Boids simulation involves a system of agents showing complex unity, where each agent acts on its own while creating a collective outcome based on three simple rules: Separation, Alignment, and Cohesion.

The Separation rule specifies that boids will always be moving to avoid collisions with one another.
The Alignment rule specifies that Boids will steer themselves to match the average trajectory of other boids around them.
The Cohesion rule specifies that boids will make an effort to reach the center of the group they are in.

Since the original 1986 study and simulation, countless other scientists and mathematicians have recreated the simulation. What is interesting in observing these simulations is that they can begin with no rules in place, and as they are each added we see the system begin to self-organize almost immediately. We can see how each different rule changes the system and makes it increasingly similar to the swarm behaviors observed in nature.

Enjoy the video demonstrating Boids below:

Or you can play around yourself with this handy Boid Simulator

Text adapted from a contribution by Devin Palmberg, Iowa State University, 2021

Cite this page:

Wohl, S. (2022, 8 June). Swarm Behavior. Retrieved from https://kapalicarsi.wittmeyer.io/definition/swarm-behavior

Swarm Behavior was updated June 8th, 2022.