The Systemic Functional Level Theory (SFLT) and its consequence, the Law of Functional Information Increase (LIFI)

Abstract

I argue that the new Law of Increasing Functional Information (LIFI), proposed by Michael L. Wong, Robert Hazen, and colleagues (Wong et al. 2023), belongs to this Systemic Functional Level Theory (SFLT), which I present here in this text alongside LIFI, because information requires matter and energy to be generated, stored, transmitted, and processed, in which Functional Information Augmentation is the effect and Systemic Functional Level (SFL) is the cause.

Keywords: Law of Increasing Functional Information, LIFI, Michael L. Wong, Systemic Functional Level, SFL, Systemic Functional Level Theory, SFLT, Energy, Matter, Information, Systems and the origin of life 

Introduction

The Systemic Functional Level (SFL) is a measure or degree of a system's functioning in terms of increasing complexity, given by the combination of matter, energy, and information. The amount of information generated, stored, transmitted, and processed by the system has a greater ‘weight’ than the other two ‘variables’. For example, we have less mass than a tiger, we expend less energy, but the amount of information we process, due to our brain, causes the Systemic Functional Level to be higher. Since we are dealing with complex systems, it is impossible to express all of this in formulas, but it would be something like mass x energy x information. He shows how emergent materialism works, in which emergent properties are present, increasing the levels of functionality of systems, contradicting those who think that reductionism is the way scientists think, which is very wrong, because emergence makes all the difference in the formation of complex systems. 

The functional level emerges when the interaction between the components of a system generates emergent properties that do not exist in the isolated parts. This holistic approach suggests that systems - from atoms to social beings - evolve through the stabilization of configurations that perform specific functions.

The System Functional Level Theory (SFLT) expands the concept of System Functional Level, not focusing on just one case, that of living beings, but on other complex systems such as galaxy shapes, crystalline cells of minerals, crystals, the origin of life, intelligent life  etc., describing the organization of reality in hierarchical levels of complexity. She understands that the universe, as it is and has always been for a very long time, has the potential to generate organized structures, has the potential to generate organized structures, complex or not, and against entropy, in which matter, energy, and information grow together, under very rare conditions, but which exist, forming complex systems in many different ways. 

There is a direct relationship between System Functional Level Theory  and the Law of Increasing Functional Information. It lies in the convergence of their principles: both postulate that natural systems, living or not, tend to increase their complexity over time. In SFLT, the functional level is the stage where selection occurs; in LIFI, this evolution is quantified by the increase in functional information. In other words, the universe selects configurations that promote stability, dynamic persistence, or functional novelty. If the Systemic Functional Level increases, functional information also increases, being dependent on it. My goal is to show that the Law of Increasing Functional Information is a consequence of the Systemic Functional Level Theory.

In short, this text anticipates the view that evolution is not exclusive to Darwinian biology, but a universal process of complex systems seeking higher levels of functional organization.

1. The SFLT

The Systemic Functional Level Theory posits that the evolution of any system, whether mineral, biological, or technological, is governed by a concomitant increase in its material, energetic, and informational base. According to this theory, functional information does not arise in isolation, but as a direct result of the elevation of the system's functional level.

2. The Axiom of the Systemic Trinity

For functionality to increase, a system must necessarily optimize the relationship between three fundamental pillars. While traditional thermodynamics focuses on the first two, listed in the next paragraph, System Functional Level Theory posits that the evolution of complexity is driven by the interaction of these with a third non-conservative variable:

Mass M: the physical substrate, the structural magnitude, and the gravitational/inertial support.

Energy E: the potential for connection, maintenance flow, work, and metabolic or computational processing.

Information I: the configuration, the design, the specific symmetry, or the code that assigns purpose and constraints to mass and energy.

To formalize this interdependence, System Functional Level Theory is expressed as a function of these variables:

SFLT ≈ f(M ⋅ E ⋅ I^α)

In this expression, α represents the non-linear scaling factor, or informational ‘weight’. While M and E are governed by strict conservation laws, information I is not conservative and is cumulative. The exponent α explains why systems with relatively low mass and energy consumption - such as the human brain compared to larger mammals - can achieve functional levels orders of magnitude higher. These three variables are directly proportional because an increase in, for example, matter and energy, makes it possible for more information to be generated, transmitted, stored, or processed, each one being relevant separately. 

As a system evolves, informational density begins to grow exponentially, acting as the main driver of the Law of  Increasing Functional Information  . Without this modification of the material/energy base through informational weighting, functionality would remain static.

I'll take a moment here to clarify the meaning of this mathematical expression. Although the Systemic Functional Level Theory is represented in a simplified way by SFLT ≈ f(M ⋅ E ⋅ I^α), this formulation should be understood only as a conceptual indication of the main variables involved, and not as a complete mathematical model. Living systems, from unicellular organisms to human beings, exhibit extraordinary levels of organization, non-linear interactions, emergent properties, and multiple scales of functioning that make it extremely difficult, and possibly unfeasible in practice, to construct a mathematical model capable of fully describing their dynamics. Thus, this expression aims to provide the reader with an intuitive view of the general structure of the theory, without the pretension of quantitatively representing all the complexity inherent in biological systems. Furthermore, many biological processes depend on probabilistic, historical, environmental, and emergent interactions, which limits the application of strictly deterministic models to fully represent the functioning of these systems.

Central postulate: functional information, expressed in the Law of Increasing Information Functional, is the manifestation of the organization of matter and energy at levels of increasing complexity. Without the modification of matter/energy, information cannot be stored or transmitted.

3. The Selection Mechanism for Function

The Law of Increasing Functional Information proposes that nature selects through persistence and novelty. The Systemic Functional Level Theory explains that this selection occurs through the refinement of structure:

Static persistence (e.g., diamond): the increase in the Systemic Functional Level is observed in the transition from isolated carbon atoms to a crystalline lattice. The spatial configuration of 109.5° angles maximizes binding energy and hardness, transforming structural information into physical utility.

Dynamic persistence (e.g., stars and cells): systems that maintain a constant flow. In the case of stars, the evolution of hydrogen and helium into heavier elements increases the number of protons and energy levels (electron shells), raising the cosmic Systemic Functional Level.

Novelty generation (e.g., biological membranes): In a membrane being internally destroyed by an element 'A', allowing the entry of an inhibitor 'B', due to any transformation in its structure without altering the Systemic Functional Level, it is demonstrated that the SFL increases because the system adds this extra element of protection, mass, and a new recognition code, the information.

4. Comparison: Law of Increasing Functional Information vs. Systemic Functional Level.

The relationships below summarize how the Systemic Functional Level acts as the engine behind the observations of the Law of Increasing  Functional Information:

LIFI: Universality

SFL: occurs from the atom to software, as everything that exists occupies mass and processes energy.

LIFI: Enhanced Complexity

SFL: is the result of compacting more functions into structures with specific spatial configurations.

LIFI: Purposeful Information

NFS: Information is only functional if there is a physical structure M capable of performing work E.

LIFI: Counterpoint to Entropy

NFS: The Systemic Functional Level is an accumulator of order. In this context, it acts as a local accumulator of order that, by processing external energy flows to organize matter, converts negentropy into structured and persistent functional information. This allows the system to reduce informational disorder and increase its resilience against environmental degradation.

5. The Singularity of the Triclinic System (the turquoise example)

We can use turquoise to illustrate the increase of information through symmetry breaking, being evidence of structural information storage. In the triclinic system of this rock (a ≠ b ≠ c, edge lengths a, b, and c, and angles between atoms different from 90°), the low level of symmetry paradoxically requires a greater amount of specific information to describe the structure than a simple cubic structure. This proves that mineral evolution is not merely a mixing of atoms, but a refinement of positional information and bonds.

Conclusion

The increase in Functional Information is the emergent effect, while the  increase in Systemic Functional Level is the fundamental cause. The universe tends to organize systems where matter and energy are shaped by information to ensure persistence; however, this process is not arbitrary. It is governed by the system's ability to act as a local accumulator of order, converting environmental negentropy into stable functional structures.

Within this structure, carbon compounds are like 'sparks of life' (Pinto, 2025) not only because of their chemical affinity, but because they possess unique geometric and energetic versatility, necessary to achieve exceptionally high systemic functional levels. This transition from chemistry to biology marks the point at which the informational component of the Systemic Trinity (M, E, I) begins to increase non-linearly, allowing for the generation of novelty and dynamic persistence. Ultimately, the Law of Increasing Functional Information  serves as the macroscopic metric for a deeper thermodynamic drive: the systemic search for higher functional levels.

Reference: 

Pinto, A. A. (2019, August 29). Sistemas e a origem da vida [Systems and the origin of life] [Typescript manuscript, registered at the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Library, but unpublished]. Argos Arruda Pinto Blog. https://argosarrudapinto.blogspot.com/2019/08/sistemas-e-origem-da-vida_29.html (Original work written 2000).

Pinto, A. A. (2025, December 18). Compostos de carbono: As centelhas da vida: Um texto interdisciplinar [Carbon compounds: The sparks of life: An interdisciplinary text]. Argos Arruda Pinto Blog. https://argosarrudapinto.blogspot.com/2025/12/compostos-de-carbono-as-centelhas-da.html.

WONG, Michael L. et al. On the roles of function and selection in evolving systems. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, v. 120, n. 43, e2310223120, 2023.

The Dependence of Information on Matter and Energy

Information is a set of ordered and contextualized data that conveys one or more meanings, transforming raw data into useful and understandable knowledge.

The term "contextualized" provides meaning and is important in this definition. For example, the numerical sequence 19:30, with the colon, may be just data. But if you add the context of "arrival time," it becomes the information that "the flight will arrive at 19:30."

We know that one or more pieces of information need to be transmitted along a path to reach their destination. Think of a voice transmission via smartphone until another person understands what you are saying. I will present in numerical sequence something essential for this propagation, necessary for what is in the title of this text: matter and energy:

1. First, between the moment you think about what you are going to say and the moment the nerve impulses reach your vocal cords, many processes occur, such as the breakdown of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) molecules, matter, providing energy for cellular processes such as the entry and exit of sodium and potassium ions, matter, within neurons and then in axons, matter, being the nerve impulses. All this comes from the activity of millions of neurons that activate entire neural networks in different areas of the brain. For example, thinking about a car can activate neurons in the visual processing area (for the brand, color, etc.), in the memory area (to remember where you last saw it) and in the language area (for the name "car").

2. The impulses that reach the vocal cords, which are muscles, matter, make them vibrate, mechanical energy, and, activated by the air, matter, that comes out of the lungs, produce the sound of the voice. This sound is the sound energy of your voice, waves of compression and rarefaction of air, which reach the speaker, the material, of your smartphone.

Inside the speaker, these sound waves cause a small membrane, also made of matter, to vibrate. This vibration is a form of mechanical energy.

3. The vibration of the membrane in the microphone is converted into electrical signals, the electric current. This happens through a small transducer, which transforms the movement into a variation in electrical voltage.

Here we have electrons, matter, in a wire, also matter, with kinetic energy.

4. The electrical signal is processed and sent to the smartphone's transmitter. This transmitter converts the electrical energy of the electrons into electromagnetic waves (radio signals, "pure" energy), which travel through the air to a cell tower.

5. The cell tower, matter, and subsequently the second smartphone, receive the electromagnetic waves. The antenna, matter, in the second smartphone captures these waves and converts them back into electrical signals that reach the earpiece of the second smartphone. Inside the earpiece, a small speaker receives the electrical signal and makes its own membrane vibrate. This vibration generates sound waves that reach the second person's ear, allowing them to hear and understand the message.

From all that has been described, even without going into detail about the process of converting sound energy into nerve impulses in the ear, reaching the neurons of neural networks to be understood by the second person, so as not to tire you, the reader, energy, through material bodies and electromagnetic energy, changes form more than ten times and something is preserved: information.

Let's say you also want to transmit messages through television images, create your own program. You will have a microphone, radio transmission equipment, TV etc. Your smartphone will not necessarily be useful, but your listeners will be able to see you through them. More information will be conveyed in this system and listeners will begin to see various details that they did not see before: your face, clothes, scenery, your movements with papers on a table, etc. For this, there has been an increase in matter and energy with cameras involving electrical circuits, lenses, people filming, etc. It is very easy to imagine the superiority in complexity between just a voice transmission and one including images. These devices also transform photons of light from all around you into electrical impulses to be restored in the devices of millions or tens of millions of viewers' homes. It's a lot more information being transmitted within the system.

Honestly, I don't remember which book I came across that described voice transmission via radio, which I adapted for a smartphone. I invented the television myself. Perhaps it was from a book by the English artificial intelligence researcher, engineer, neurologist, sociologist, and psychiatrist, W. Ross Ashby (1903-1972), the title is Introduction to Cybernetics, but what matters most is the idea I memorized about how energy is transformed through material means while preserving the transmission and quality of information.

P.S.: In the two cases cited regarding information transmission, there was an increase in the systemic functional level, but not spontaneously, naturally.

Note:

(*) Systemic Functional Level

The Systemic Functional Level (SFL) would be a measure or degree of a system's functioning with respect to its complexity, given by the combination of matter, energy, and information. The amount of information generated, stored, transmitted, and processed by it has a greater "weight" than the other two "variables." For example, we have less mass than a lion, we expend less energy, but the amount of information processed by us, due to our brain, makes the SFL higher. Since we are dealing with complex systems, it is impossible to put all this into formulas, but it would be something like mass x energy x information; and it may be different.