# association (relation)

A relation that connects things because they have the same pattern.

- Computed level: L10 (depth in the emergence graph, not abstraction)
- Status: review  ·  Domain: association  ·  Arena: relation.association

## Emergence
**Emerges from:** [connection](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-connection.social), [similar](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-similar.comparative), [connects](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-connects.verb), [pattern](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-pattern.regularity), [relation](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-relation.association)

**Through:** The connection and similar together create a relation between things.

**Novel properties:**
- shared pattern recognition
- persistent relational linkage
- cross-entity analogy

## Examples
- The periodic table groups elements like lithium, sodium, and potassium because they share reactivity patterns. *(chemistry)*
- Users clicking both 'Add to Cart' and 'Wishlist' buttons on Amazon products reveal an association in browsing behavior. *(computing)*
- Birds migrating in V-formations follow the same aerodynamic pattern, linking their flight paths through energy-saving alignment. *(biology)*

## Used by
- [summary](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-summary.text) (L14)

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*Canonical: https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-association.relation*  
*Structured data: https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-association.relation.json*  
*Every definition provably resolves to space, time, energy and pattern.*