Differential Heterogenesis. Mutant Forms, Sensitive Bodies

Chapter 4 (“Differential Heterogenesis. Mutant Forms, Sensitive Bodies”) presents the research conducted by mathematicians Alessandro Sarti, Giovanna Citti and David Piotrowski that has appeared in articles and in a recent book (2022) They try to theorize the phenomenon of heterogenesis observable in different domains like neuroscience with a focus on the functioning of the brain and particularly the visual system, semiotics and philosophy with their emphasis on the functioning of both pragmatic language and artistic language, and social sciences’ interest in social systems. These three authors research the possible developments of a new geometry as an extension of the existing sub-Riemannian geometries and seek to elaborate a new type of dynamics. Concepts of “becoming”, “mutation”, “differential constraints”, “operators” and “commutators” are prominent in their work. This book’s subsequent chapters engage in a theoretical conversation with Differential Heterogenesis, Mutant Forms, Sensitive Bodies, facilitated by the fact that Differential Heterogenesis has an assumed Deleuzian orientation.