1. Emergence: Complex systems exhibit properties that arise from interactions among components, which cannot be deduced simply by examining individual parts.

2. Nonlinearity: Small changes can have disproportionate effects due to feedback loops and intricate interdependencies.

3. Self-Organization: Systems often develop order spontaneously through internal dynamics without centralized control.

4. Adaptation and Co-evolution: Components and systems adjust in response to environmental changes, highlighting a process of mutual influence and evolution.

5. Interdisciplinary Perspective: Complexity theory transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries, encouraging holistic and integrative approaches to understanding systems.

Nonlinearity means that in complex systems, cause and effect are not directly proportional. Small changes in a system’s input can produce disproportionately large or unexpected outcomes, often due to feedback loops and intricate interdependencies among its parts. This makes predicting behavior challenging, as linear relationships—where doubling an input simply doubles the effect—do not apply.

Consider weather systems—a small disturbance like a butterfly flapping its wings can, through a cascade of interactions and feedback loops, ultimately influence large-scale phenomena such as storms. This is famously known as the butterfly effect.

In ecology, imagine a slight decrease in a predator population. This minor change may allow prey numbers to grow unchecked, which then disrupts the balance of the entire ecosystem. Here, the small cause (reduced predation) leads to a disproportionately large effect (ecosystem imbalance).

In economics, a tiny policy shift might trigger substantial market fluctuations. The interdependent nature of sectors means that even minimal changes can ripple out, leading to unexpected and amplified outcomes.

Each example shows how small inputs in nonlinear systems can result in outsized and sometimes unpredictable effects.