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 power of feelings and emotions in the perpetuation of humans on Earth

Imagine the hunter-gatherer era, hundreds of thousands of years ago. There was no language, no writing, and perhaps the only form of human communication was through gestures and cries.

Babies were born and immediately protected by their mothers, while men protected them from members of their own groups, animals, rain, etc. No one knew the responsibility of being a parent to something so fragile, as they didn't know who or what generated them; they only understood that a baby would be born, as the woman's belly grew in a pattern similar to that of all women, but there were feelings, care, etc., which meant that the little ones would be protected and their lives preserved.

Part of the instinct to preserve the lives of the little ones was replaced by the previously scarce intelligence of their ancestors. Mothers breastfed instinctively, but they also learned, for example, that the crying of newborns was a sign of this need.

There are many unrecorded examples, which demonstrate the complexity of the behaviors necessary for the survival and well-being of children who are completely incapable of living alone in this world until they become masters of their own lives.

We are in Anthropology, a discipline in which it is relatively easy to deduce, think, etc. about how humans solve problems, invent solutions to embarrassing situations, etc. And it is precisely here, at the beginning of the human journey on Earth, that I can present to you, the reader, an idealized and surreal experience, without wanting to convince you of something that, if it were today, could be more complicated.

Remove all the feelings and emotions related to the behaviors of men and women in relation to the care of babies, and the human species would not exist on the planet today.

You would break the main link between them, and parents would abandon their children; there would be no one to take care of them, and that's it!

Feelings and emotions were present in animals older than humans, especially in mammals. Throughout history, as complexity increased in living beings, certain behaviors were selected by evolution. Following an arrow of increasing complexity*, from the first multicellular animals to mammals, these selected behaviors belonged to those who did not abandon their offspring and cared for their young.

Note 

(*) See “The Growth of the Systemic Functional Level throughout the history of life”. Argos Arruda Pinto. https://argosarrudapinto.blogspot.com/2026/02/o-crescimento-do-nivel-funcional.html.

Definition of Systemic Functional Level (SFL in english)

The Systemic Functional Level (SFL) would be 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 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 we process, due to our brain, makes the SFL higher. Since we are dealing with complex systems, it's impossible to put all this into formulas, but it would be something like mass x energy x information; and it can be different.

If it grows, the Functional Information also grows, being dependent on it.

Example:

T-Rex vs. Human. The dinosaur possessed tons of mass and energy, but a limited SFL due to its information processing capacity. The human brain, weighing only 1.3 kg and consuming the energy of a 20W LED light bulb, achieves a higher NFS (LIFI) because the efficiency of functional information "leverages" the system to a new phase transition, a higher level.

The Law on Increasing Functional Information - LIFI - already had a foundation in 2000

In 2023, the Law of Increasing Functional Information, (LIFI), proposed by the American astrobiologist Michael L. Wong (@miquai.bsky.social), the American astrobiologist and geologist Robert Hazen (Carnegie Science), and collaborators, was presented to the scientific world. Upon reading about this work, I perceived a strong connection to the concept of Systemic Functional Level, which I documented in a book in 2000.

As a physicist, I saw there the confirmation written in my book *Systems and the Origin of Life* - https://argosarrudapinto.blogspot.com/2019/08/sistemas-e-origem-da-vida_29.html - that complexity does not arise from nothing.

The Systemic Functional Level (SFL) would be 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 stored, transmitted, and processed by it, with this having 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.*

LIFI proposes that systems evolve towards greater functional information. But here's the "trick" I've been advocating: Functional Information (FI) does not grow in a vacuum. It is dependent on what I call the Systemic Functional Level (SFL). If it grows, Functional Information also grows. Read the full article here:

[https://argosarrudapinto.blogspot.com/2025/08/a-lei-do-aumento-da-informacao.html]

The New Phase System (NFS) is the real integration between matter, energy, and information.

Why does this matter, for example, for the Origin of Life?

We often try to explain life only through biology, but the prebiotic transition is a Complex Systems Physics event: as another significant example: T-Rex vs. Human. The dinosaur possessed tons of mass and energy, but an NFS limited by information processing. The human brain, weighing only 1.3 kg and consuming the energy of a 20W LED light bulb, achieves a superior NFS because the efficiency of functional information "leverages" the system to a new phase transition, a higher level.

Practical Experience:

Throughout my career, I've realized that in any system—from a single cell to a company with new computers—the increase in information only generates evolution if the material and energetic support allows for raising the Functional Level. Without the correct substrate, the "law" has nowhere to operate.

I'm sharing a detailed article on how the Systemic Functional Level anticipated and complements this new vision of science.

Hashtags:

#ComplexSystems, #OriginOfLife, #Physics, #Astrobiology, #LIFI, #SystemicFunctionalLevel, #CarnegieScience, #Astrobiology, #OriginOfLife, #LifeAtCarnegie, #ComplexSystems, #LIFI #SystemicFunctionalLevel, #ComplexSystems, #Astrobiology, #InformationTheory.

Note

(*) See more details with examples in my text "The Growth of the Systemic Functional Level through the history of life": https://argosarrudapinto.blogspot.com/2026/02/o-crescimento-do-nivel-funcional.html.

The Law of Augmentation of Functional Information (LIFI) in relation to the Systemic Functional Level (SFL) by AI

Note: This AI-driven way of looking at these two concepts may not be the best because nothing surpasses our ideas and thoughts, but it does provide some similarities and relationships between the two. 

The Systemic Functional Level is a concept that measures the degree of organization and performance of a system in relation to the functions it performs. It can be understood as a "level" of efficiency and integration that the system reaches at a given moment. 

The connection between LIFI and SFL can be seen as follows: 

 

Interaction: 

LIFI: The application of LIFI leads, over time, to an increase in SFL. 

SFL: The SFL is a cumulative reflection of the effects of LIFI. 

 

Mechanism: 

LIFI: Selection of configurations that best fulfill functions, increasing functional information. 

SFL: Assessment of the extent to which the system has already incorporated and consolidated these functions. 

 

Focus: 

LIFI: Explains the process of functional evolution in complex systems. 

SFL: Measures the current state of system performance and organization. 

 

Dynamics: 

LIFI: Is directional: it tends to increase functional information over time. 

NFS: Is punctual: it shows the current functional stage of the system. 

In practical terms: 

1. LIFI describes how and why a system evolves functionally. 

2. NFS is a “snapshot” of the result of this evolution at a specific point in time. 

3. The more LIFI acts on a system (via selection of effective functions), the greater the NFS tends to be—until new challenges or environmental changes require new adaptations. 

 

Conceptual diagram in text. Clearly shows how the Law of Increasing Functional Information (LIFI) drives the Systemic Functional Level (SFL) over time, with biological, technological, and social examples: 

 

Application Cycle 

 

1. Generation of Variations 

  

Biology: Genetic Mutations 

Technology: New Software Versions 

Society: Cultural or Institutional Changes 

 

2. Functional Selection 

Biology: Survival of the Fittes 

Technology: Resources that Best Serve Users 

Society: Practices that Solve Collective Problems 

 

3. Accumulation of Functional Information 

The System “Learns” and Incorporates Effective Solutions 

  

4. Increased NFS 

Greater Integration, Efficiency, and Responsiveness 

Positive Feedback. The New Functional Level Creates the Foundation for Even More Complex Variations. 

 

Trajectory Examples 

 

Areas: 

Biological: 

Initial Example: Fish with Variable Fins 

Functional Selection: More Efficient Fins for Swimming 

New NFS: Faster and More Adapted Species 

Technological: 

Initial Example: First Cell Phones 

Functional selection: Most useful functions (camera, internet) 

New NFS: Multifunctional smartphones 

Social: 

Initial example: Small farming communities 

Functional selection: More effective political structures 

New NFS: Organized states with laws and institutions