Assembly Theory

Assembly theory is a new** theory that attempts to quantify the complexity of objects in the universe. According to the theory, the complexity of an object is determined by its history and those that are created through a process of evolution are more complex than objects that are created randomly.

Assembly theory attempts to quantify the complexity of an object by looking at the number of steps it took to create the object and the number of copies of the object that exist. At it's core, the idea is that all objects in the universe are made up of smaller parts that are assembled together in a specific order. The more complex an object is, the more steps it took to assemble it and the more copies of the object there are, the more likely it is that the object was created by a process of evolution.

In a broader context and according to the creator of this theory, Lee Cronin, there are two types of universes: the assembly universe and the life universe.

The assembly universe is a hypothetical universe in which everything is possible. There are no rules or restrictions on what can exist, and objects can be created independently of each other. This universe is infinite and expanding, and it is governed by the laws of probability.

The life universe is a subset of the assembly universe. It is the universe in which life exists. Life is a complex phenomenon that is not well understood, but it is thought to be the result of selection and evolution.

According to the paper "Assembly theory explains and quantifies selection and evolution", objects can be characterized through their formation histories and how these histories reveal the amount of selection that was necessary for the objects to come into existence. Essentially, assembly theory views objects as entities that are defined by their possible formation histories. This means that objects can show evidence of selection, within well-defined boundaries of individuals or selected units.

Assembly theory has a formula!

AT defines assembly as the total amount of selection necessary to produce an ensemble of observed objects, quantified using equation:

Assembly theory also introduces a measure called assembly, which captures the degree of causation required to produce a given ensemble of objects. This approach enables us to incorporate novelty generation and selection into the physics of complex objects. It explains how these objects can be characterized through a forward dynamical process considering their assembly. History and causal contingency are both important concepts in assembly theory. History is defined as the path by which an object is assembled, and causal contingency is the degree to which the assembly of an object is dependent on the assembly of other objects.

Assembly theory uses the concepts of history and causal contingency to describe how objects are created and how they evolve over time. By understanding the history of an object, we can better understand how it was created and how it might evolve in the future. Additionally, by understanding the causal contingency of an object, we can better understand how it is dependent on other objects and how it might interact with other objects in the future.

The number of steps it takes to create an object is called the assembly index, which can be thought of as a measure of the complexity of the object. A lower bound, the assembly index is the the shortest path that leads to the creation of the object and can be used to compare the complexity of different objects and to study the evolution of complex systems.

Selection in assembly spaces

Selection in assembly spaces is a process that describes how objects are created from a set of possible combinations. The objects that are created are determined by the history of the system and the constraints that are placed on it. Assembly spaces are a way of representing the possible pathways that can be taken to create an object. They are defined by the set of elementary building blocks that can be used to create the object, and the rules that govern how these blocks can be combined. The assembly space of an object can be thought of as a tree, with each node representing a possible state of the object as it is being assembled. The edges of the tree represent the possible ways in which the object can be transformed from one state to another. The assembly space of an object can be used to calculate its assembly index.

Assembly spaces are important because they allow us to understand the relationship between the objects that exist in the real world and the possible objects that could exist. They also provide a way to quantify the complexity of objects and to study the process of assembly. The concept of selection within assembly spaces allows for the identification of objects that have been created through a non-random process and thereby be used to identify objects that have a high degree of complexity and that may be the result of evolution, in other words the preferential use of certain combinations of objects to create new objects. Again, to clarify - this preferential use can be quantified by the assembly index, which is a measure of the complexity of an object.

An interesting idea here: Objects with a high assembly index are more likely to have been created through a process of selection than objects with a low assembly index.

History and causal contingency

History and causal contingency are both important concepts in assembly theory. History is defined as the path by which an object is assembled, and causal contingency is the degree to which the assembly of an object is dependent on the assembly of other objects.

Assembly theory uses the concepts of history and causal contingency to describe how objects are created and how they evolve over time. By understanding the history of an object, we can better understand how it was created and how it might evolve in the future. Additionally, by understanding the causal contingency of an object, we can better understand how it is dependent on other objects and how it might interact with other objects in the future.

The copy number

The copy number is a measure of the abundance of a particular object in a given sample or system and is defined as the number of identical copies of an object that are present within a given criteria. The copy number is an important parameter in assembly theory, as it is used together with the assembly index to quantify the complexity and abundance of objects in a system.

A high copy number indicates that an object is common or abundant, while a low copy number indicates that an object is rare or unique. In a chemical or biological process, the copy number can be used to measure efficiency or if we wanted to take another setting, such as business, maybe we could translate this to value.

Value to Enterprise

I venture that Assembly theory has the potential to be a valuable tool for managing complex products and systems involved in their production. By providing a way to quantify the complexity of objects and processes, assembly theory can help to identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement. For example, perhaps assembly theory could be used to:

• Assess the complexity of new product designs and identify potential sources of problems.
• Optimize the assembly process for complex products
• Predict the likelihood of success for new products or processes
• Manage the supply chain for complex products, ensuring that the necessary components are available when needed.

Although assembly theory is still in its early stages of development, we should explore whether it has the potential to make an impact on the way we design, manufacture, and manage complex products. The theory certainly seems to have application - work is already being done in laboratories to study a wide variety of systems, including molecules, polymers, and cells.

Perhaps the most intriguing implication of assembly theory is that it suggests time as a fundamental and material property of complex objects. This means that the history of an object is not just a sequence of events that happened in the past, but is also a physical property that is intrinsic to the object itself. As a result, assembly theory potentially provides a new way of understanding the evolution of complex objects and may even help to explain the origin of life.

By reimagining the concept of matter within assembly spaces, assembly theory may represent the genesis of a powerful new interface between physics and biology, disclosing new aspects, whereby history and causal contingency influence what exists.

Side note: Historical contingency

In assembly theory, historical contingency refers to the dependence of the present on the past. In other words, it is the idea that the objects that exist in the present are the result of a long and complex history of events. This history is not predetermined, but rather is the result of a series of choices and events that could have happened differently. Hopefully, this gives humans the ability to shape the future by making informed choices...

You have been informed, choices are important!

** Please see comment section.