The ‘Edge of Chaos’ is a highly sought-after state of existence where an open system is concurrently both highly ordered and highly disordered, while simultaneously being neither too chaotic nor too rigid. It is a delicate balance between order and disorder, which can often be chaotic, yet still maintain its integrity over time, allowing for more complexity, competition and exploration which can lead to the emergence of greater levels of innovation and creativity. At the edge of chaos, systems tend to find the most unpredictable, unpredicted and circumstantial order, which inherently drives a more fruitful and empowered system.

See also: emergence, evolutionary computing, prigogine, self-organization