中文摘要：

鉴于直接以一般复杂系统为研究对象探讨其运行机制，难度太大，本文提出借助一类具体的复杂系统——具有群集智能涌现特性的生物蚁群和鸟群系统的行为规律研究，作为认识一般复杂系统运行机制的桥梁和过渡。在论述蚁群觅食、蚁群墓地构造、蚁群劳动分工和鸟群觅食这几类典型的群集智能行为的生物学原型的基础上，深入分析了群集智能的系统特征和所蕴涵的分布式、自组织和正反馈等重要特性，并给出了翔实的论述说明。进而根据文中阐述的群集智能特性，从多个方面概括总结了其对复杂系统研究的意义，包括揭示复杂系统的运行机制、促进人脑复杂性的研究、推进组织管理模式的创新和提升智能科学的发展水平。最后对群集智能目前存在的问题和今后有待研究的课题进行了总结和展望。

英文摘要：

Since it is difficult to directly take complex systems as the research objects to explore their operational mechanisms, it is proposed in this paper that the operational mechanism of general complex systems can be obtained based on the research of the behavior rules of some concrete complex systems, such as the biological ant colony and bird flock with the characteristic of emergence of swarm intelligence. Based on the discussions of four typical biological prototypes of swarm intelligent behaviors, namely ant colony foraging, ant clustering, labor division in ant colony, and bird flock foraging, the features of swarm intelligence as a system are analyzed in detail and some important implied characteristics, such as distribution, self-organization, and positive feedback, are revealed and expanded. According to the ad- dressed characteristics of swarm intelligence, the significance of which to the research of complex systems is summarized from multiple aspects, including revealing the operational mechanism of general complex systems, hastening the research of the complexity of human brain, advancing the innovation of organizational management modes, and promoting the development of the intelligence science. Finally some problems in current researches of swarm intelligence are presented and the potential fields of further researches are prospected.