springer.com Life Sciences : Evolutionary Biology Eigen, M., Schuster, Peter The Hypercycle A Principle of Natural Self-Organization This book originated from a series of papers which were published in "Die Naturwissenschaften" in 1977178. Its division into three parts is the reflection of a logic structure, which may be abstracted in the form of three theses: A. Hypercycles are a principle of natural selforganization allowing an inte• gration and coherent evolution of a set of functionally coupled self-rep• licative entities. B. Hypercycles are a novel class of nonlinear reaction networks with unique properties, amenable to a unified mathematical treatment. C. Hypercycles are able to originate in the mutant distribution of a single Darwinian quasi-species through stabilization of its diverging mutant genes. Once nucleated hypercycles evolve to higher complexity by a process analogous to gene duplication and specialization. In order to outline the meaning of the first statement we may refer to another principle of material selforganization, namely to Darwin's principle of natural selection. This principle as we see it Springer today represents the only understood means for creating information, be it the blue print for a complex living organism which evolved from less complex ancestral forms, or be it a VI, 92 p. 14 illus. 1st meaningful sequence of letters the selection of which can be simulated by evolutionary model edition games. Order online at springer.com/booksellers Printed book Springer Nature Customer Service Center GmbH Softcover Customer Service Tiergartenstrasse 15-17 Printed book 69121 Heidelberg Softcover Germany ISBN 978-3-540-09293-3 T: +49 (0)6221 345-4301 £ 99,99 | CHF 130,00 | 109,99 € | [email protected] 120,99 € (A) | 117,69 € (D) Available Discount group Science (SC) Product category Monograph Other renditions Softcover ISBN 978-3-642-67248-4 Prices and other details are subject to change without notice. All errors and omissions excepted. Americas: Tax will be added where applicable. Canadian residents please add PST, QST or GST. Please add $5.00 for shipping one book and $ 1.00 for each additional book. Outside the US and Canada add $ 10.00 for first book, $5.00 for each additional book. If an order cannot be fulfilled within 90 days, payment will be refunded upon request. Prices are payable in US currency or its equivalent. ISBN 978-3-540-09293-3 / BIC: PSAJ / SPRINGER NATURE: SCL21001 Part of .