Modeling the Genesis of Components in the Networks of Interacting Units

From the viewpoint of system development, we investigate how components emerge in a network system consisting of interacting units. We propose two mathematical models with ‘variational’ principles: one treats the emergence of neuron-like components from interacting maps, and the other one treats the emergence of hierarchical module-like components from interacting neuron-like units. In both models, maximum transmission of information was used as a ‘variational’ principle. This type of mathematical model provides a basis for consideration of the mechanism of cell differentiation in embryos and stem cells, and of functional differentiation in the brain.