Introduction to Systems Theory: Concepts and Definitions
SYSTEM
The overall system concept is supported on the fact that no system can be completely isolated and will always be external factors that surround it and can affect it. Puleo defines system as “a set of entities characterized by certain attributes, which are interrelated and are located in a certain environment, according to a certain goal.”
BODY
This constitutes the essence of something and therefore is a basic concept. The entities may have a specific person, if its attributes can be perceived by the senses and therefore measurable and an abstract existence if their attributes are related to inherent qualities or properties of the concept.
ATTRIBUTE
Attribute means the characteristics and structural properties or functional characterizing the parts or components of a system.
RELATIONSHIP
The internal and external relations of the systems have taken various denominations. Among others: reciprocal effects, interactions, organization, communication flows, performance, partnerships and exchanges, interdependence, coherence, etcetera. The relationships between the elements of a system and its environment are of vital importance for understanding the behavior of living systems. The relationships may be reciprocal (circularity) or unidirectional. Presented at a system, relationships can be viewed as a structured network under the scheme input / output.
SUBSYSTEM
Subsystems means item sets and relationships that meet specialized structures and functions within a larger system. Overall, the subsystems have the same properties as the systems (synergy) and its boundary is relative to the observer’s position and the model system that has for them. From this angle we can speak of subsystems, systems or supersystems, as these possess the systemic features (synergy).
SYNERGY
Every system is synergistic in both the examination of its parts in isolation can not explain or predict their behavior. The synergy is therefore a phenomenon that arises from the interactions between the parts or components of a system (cluster). This concept responds to the Aristotelian postulate which states that “the whole is not equal to the sum of its parts.” The entire conservation is all in the interaction of the component parts (teleology). In less essentialist might argue that synergy is the common property of all those things that look like systems.
BORDER
The systems consist of wholes and, therefore, are indivisible as systems (synergy). They have parts and components (subsystem), but these are other wholes (emergency). In some systems its frontiers or boundaries coincide with structural discontinuities between them and their environments, but usually the demarcation of boundaries is systemic in the hands of an observer (model). In operational terms we can say that the system boundary is the line that separates the system from its environment and defines what belongs and what is outside it (Johannsen. 1975:66).
ENVIRONMENT
This refers to the area of events and conditions that influence the behavior of a system. As far as complexity is concerned, a system can never be equated with the environment and to retain its identity as a system. The only possibility of relationship between a system and its environment implies that the former must selectively absorb aspects of it. However, this strategy has the disadvantage of specializing the selectivity of the system about its environment, thereby diminishing its ability to react to external changes. The latter directly affects the appearance or disappearance of open systems.
MODEL
Models are constructs designed by an observer who aims to identify and measure complex systemic relations. Any real system is able to be represented in more than one model. The decision, at this point depends on both model objects of their ability to distinguish relevant relationships with respect to these objectives. The essence of systemic modelistic is simplification. The metamodel is best known systemic input-output scheme.
ELEMENT
“Components of a system or component parts that constitute it. They can refer to objects or processes. Having identified the elements can be organized into a model.
ORGANIZATION
N. Wiener argued that the organization should be viewed as “an interdependence of the various parties organized, but that interdependence has degrees. Certain internal interdependencies must be more important than others, which is to say that the internal interdependence is not complete” (Buckley. 1970:127). Therefore the systemic organization refers to the pattern of relations that define the possible states (variability) for a given system.
STRUCTURE
The more or less stable relationships between the parts or components of a system that can be verified (identified) at a given time, constitute the structure of the system. According to Buckley (1970) particular kinds of more or less stable relationships of the components that occur in a given time are the particular structure of the system at that time, thereby achieving a kind of “totality” endowed with some degree of continuity and limitation. In some cases it is preferable to distinguish between a primary structure (referring to the internal relationships) and hyper (referring to the external relations).
INFORMATION
The information has a different behavior of the energy, because the communication does not eliminate the source of the issuer or information. In formal terms “amount of information that remains in the system equals (…) that there is more information that comes in, ie there is a net aggregate entry and exit information does not replace the system” (Johannsen. 1975:78). The data is the most important current negentropic available complex systems.
CYBER
This is a multidisciplinary field that attempts to encompass the field of process control and communication (feedback) on both machines and living things. The concept is borrowed from the Greek kibernetes referred us to action for piloting a schooner (N.Wiener.1979).
CIRCULARITY
Concept cybernetic concerns us autocausación processes. If A causes B and B causes C, but C causes A, then A is essentially autocausado (feedback, morfostásis, morphogenesis).
COMPLEXITY
On one hand, indicates the number of elements of a system (quantitative complexity) and, on the other, their potential interactions (connectivity) and the number of possible states that occur through them (variety, variability). The system complexity is in direct proportion to the variety and variability, therefore, is always a comparative measure. A more sophisticated version of the TGS is based on notions of difference in complexity and variety. These phenomena have been worked by cybernetics and are associated with the postulates of R. Ashby (1984), which suggests that the number of possible states that can reach the atmosphere is practically infinite. Accordingly, there would be no system can match such a variety, because if so the identity of that system would be diluted in the environment.
CONGLOMERATE
When the sum of the parts, components and attributes in a set is equal to all, we are witnessing a whole devoid of synergy, ie a conglomerate (Johannsen. 1975:31-33).
ENERGY
The energy that is incorporated into the system behaves according to the law of conservation of energy, which means that the amount of energy stored in a system equals the amount of imported energy minus the sum of the exported power (entropy, negentropy).
ENTROPY
The second law of thermodynamics states the growth of entropy, ie the highest probability of the system is its progressive disorganization and finally, its homogenization with the environment. Closed systems are hopelessly doomed to disarray. However there are systems that, at least temporarily, reverse this trend by increasing their states of organization (negentropy, information).