Autocorrelation and frequency
analysis differentiate cardiac
and economic bios from
1/f noise
M. Patel
Medical Surgical Department, Research Resources Center,
Biostatistics Facility, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago
H. Sabelli
Chicago Center for Creative Development, Chicago, IL, USA
Keywords Chaos, Economics, Cybernetics
Abstract Mathematical bios and heartbeat series show an inverse relation between frequency and
power; the time series of differences between successive terms of cardiac and mathematical chaos
shows a direct relation between frequency and power. Other statistical analyses differentiate these
biotic series from stochastically generated 1/f noise. The time series of complex biological and
economic processes as well as mathematical bios show asymmetry, positive autocorrelation, and
extended partial autocorrelation. Random, chaotic and stochastic models show symmetric
statistical distributions, and no partial autocorrelation. The percentage of continuous proportions
is high in cardiac, economic, and mathematical biotic series, and scarce in pink noise and chaos.
These findings differentiate creative biotic processes from chaotic and stochastic series. We
propose that the widespread 1/f power spectrum found in natural processes represents the
integration of the fundamental relation between frequency and energy stated in Planck’s law.
Natural creativity emerges from determined interactions rather than from the accumulation of
accidental random changes.
Introduction
Biological and cosmological evolution demonstrate empirically that natural
processes are creative. Physiological processes that continually generate new
patterns provide an opportunity to investigate the empirical features of creative
processes.
In many natural processes (astronomical, physical, biological and
psychological), the power spectrum often shows an inverse relation between
frequency and energy (Gilden, 2001; Handel and Chung, 1993; Press, 1978;
Schro
¨
eder, 1991). The inverse power law applies to multiple levels of
organization indicating their isomorphism or self-similarity. It must reflect a
The Emerald Research Register for this journal is available at The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregister http://www.emeraldinsight.com/0368-492X.htm
Supported by Society for the Advancement of Clinical Philosophy. We are thankful to Drs
Arthur Sugerman, Louis Kauffman, Jerry Konecki and Linnea Carlson-Sabelli for useful
discussions of the data.
K
32,5/6
692
Kybernetes
Vol. 32 No. 5/6, 2003
pp. 692-702
q MCB UP Limited
0368-492X
DOI 10.1108/03684920210443789