History of the Idea

Dynamic symmetry theory stands in a long tradition of research on how complex systems function most effectively “at the edge” between rigid order and disorder. It grows out of earlier work on the “edge of chaos” by Roger Lewin, Norman Packard, Christopher Langton, Doyne Farmer and others, which showed that many adaptive systems exhibit especially rich, computationally powerful behaviour in a narrow region between frozen regularity and randomness. Edge theory takes these insights and significantly develops and systematises them, proposing a unified way of describing how such edge‑regions arise, how they can be measured, and how they can be intentionally shaped in real‑world systems.

The term “dynamic symmetry” itself has earlier roots in the work of Jay Hambidge, who used it to describe proportion and design schemes based on geometric and numerical relationships in art and architecture. While that work was confined largely to visual composition and aesthetics, the present dynamic symmetry theory greatly extends the notion into wider scientific and applied domains, treating symmetry and asymmetry as structural features of systems whose balance shapes stability, adaptability and resilience across physics, biology, cognition, institutions and everyday practices.

A further strand of influence comes from Denis Noble’s idea of the “harnessing of stochasticity” in living systems. Noble argues that biological organisation does not simply suppress randomness but uses it, in a controlled way, to generate variability, flexibility and robustness across multiple scales. Edge theory resonates strongly with this view, treating structured variability—not mere noise—as a central resource that complex systems must manage if they are to remain both coherent and capable of change.

Benedict Rattigan’s dynamic symmetry theory brings these threads together. It integrates the edge‑of‑chaos tradition, Hambidge’s early work on dynamic symmetry and Noble’s account of harnessed stochasticity into a single, cross‑domain framework. That framework aims to show how a common pattern of “structured balance” between order and variability appears in phenomena as diverse as galaxies, traffic, hearts, markets, institutions and classrooms, and how this pattern can be formalised, diagnosed and applied.

Three key papers, linked below, develop these themes in more detail:

Edge Theory & the Edge of Chaos: Distinctive Features of Dynamic Symmetry Theory in Complexity Science, which situates Edge theory in relation to earlier edge‑of‑chaos work.

Dynamic Symmetry and the Harnessing of Stochasticity, which syntheses dynamic symmetry theory with Denis Noble’s biological relativity.

Dynamic Symmetry and the Heart, which explores its applications in cardiac physiology and multi‑scale biological organisation.

Video below: Denis Noble reflects on his first meeting with Benedict Rattigan