  A key problem in the study and design of complex systems is the apparent
disconnection between the microscopic and the macroscopic. It is not
straightforward to identify the local interactions that give rise to an
observed global phenomenon, nor is it simple to design a system that will
exhibit some desired global property using only local knowledge. Here we
propose a methodology that allows for the identification of local interactions
that give rise to a desired global property of a network, the degree
distribution. Given a set of observable processes acting on a network, we
determine the conditions that must satisfied to generate a desired steady-state
degree distribution. We thereby provide a simple example for a class of tasks
where a system can be designed to self-organize to a given state.
