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For other uses, see System (disambiguation).
A schematic representation of a closed system and its boundary
A schematic representation of a closed system and its boundary

System (from Latin systēma, in turn from Greek σύστημα systēma) is a set of interacting or interdependent entities, real or abstract, forming an integrated whole. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly An entity is something that has a distinct separate Existence, though it need not be a material existence The concept of an 'integrated whole' can also be stated in terms of a system embodying a set of relationships which are differentiated from relationships of the set to other elements, and from relationships between an element of the set and elements not a part of the relational regime.

There are natural and man-made (designed) systems. Man-made systems normally have a certain purpose, set of objectives. They are “designed to work as a coherent entity”. Natural systems may not have an apparent objective but they are sustainable, efficient and resilient. There are many kinds of systems.

A system is a fundamental concept of systems theory, which views the world as a complex system of interconnected parts. Systems theory is an Interdisciplinary field of Science and the study of the nature of Complex systems in Nature, Society, and We determine a system by choosing the relevant interactions we want to consider plus choosing the system boundary —– or, equivalently, providing membership criteria to determine which entities are part of the system, and which entities are outside of the system and are therefore part of the environment of the system. We then make simplified representations (models) of the system in order to understand it and to predict or impact its future behavior. The Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL was a rebel group in Liberia that became active in March 2003, launching attacks from Côte d'Ivoire.

An open system usually interacts with some entities in their environment. An open system is a state of a System, in which a system continuously interacts with its environment A closed system is isolated from its environment. A Closed system is a System in the state of being isolated from the environment

A subsystem is a set of elements, which is a system itself, and a part of a larger system.

Contents

Overview

The scientific research field which is engaged in the transdisciplinary study of universal system-based properties of the world is general system theory, systems science and recently systemics. Systems theory is an Interdisciplinary field of Science and the study of the nature of Complex systems in Nature, Society, and Systems science is the Interdisciplinary field of science which studies the nature of Complex systems in Nature, Society, and Science Systemics is the emerging branch of Science that studies Holistic Systems It tries to develop logical mathematical engineering and philosophical paradigms They investigate the abstract properties of the matter and mind, their organization, searching concepts and principles which are independent of the specific domain, independent of their substance, type, or spatial or temporal scales of existence. MIND ( Moving In New Directions) (est 1975 is an alternative education high school in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. An organization (or organisation &mdash see spelling differences) is a social arrangement which pursues collective goals which controls its own performance and

The term system has multiple meanings [1]:

  1. A collection of organized things; as, a solar system.
  2. A way of organizing or planning.
  3. A whole composed of relationships among the members.

Most systems share the same common characteristics. These common characteristics include the following:[2]

  1. Systems have a structure that is defined by its parts and processes.
  2. Systems are generalizations of reality.
  3. Systems tend to function in the same way. This involves the inputs and outputs of material (energy and/or matter) that is then processed causing it to change in some way.
  4. The various parts of a system have functional as well as structural relationships between each other.

The characteristics of systems have been studied in general systems theory. Systems theory is an Interdisciplinary field of Science and the study of the nature of Complex systems in Nature, Society, and

History

The term System has a long history which can be traced back to the Greek language. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly

In the 19th century the first to develop the concept of a "system" in the natural sciences was the French physicist Sadi Carnot who studied thermodynamics. In Science, the term natural science refers to a naturalistic approach to the study of the Universe, which is understood as obeying rules or law of Nicolas Léonard Sadi Carnot (1 June 1796 &ndash 24 August 1832 was a French Physicist and Military engineer who in his 1824 Reflections In Physics, thermodynamics (from the Greek θερμη therme meaning " Heat " and δυναμις dynamis meaning " In 1824 he studied what he called the working substance (system), i. Year 1824 ( MDCCCXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year e. typically a body of water vapor, in steam engines, in regards to the system's ability to do work when heat is applied to it. A steam engine is a Heat engine that performs Mechanical work using Steam as its Working fluid. The working substance could be put in contact with either a heat reservoir (a boiler), a cold reservoir (a stream of cold water), or a piston (to which the working body could do work by pushing on it). In 1850, the German physicist Rudolf Clausius generalized this picture to include the concept of the surroundings and began to use the term "working body" when referring to the system. Rudolf Julius Emanuel Clausius (Born Rudolf Gottlieb, January 2, 1822 &ndash August 24, 1888) was a German Physicist

In the 1980s the term complex adaptive system was coined at the interdisciplinary Santa Fe Institute by John H. Holland, Murray Gell-Mann and others. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Complex adaptive systems are special cases of Complex systems They are complex in that they are diverse and made up of multiple interconnected elements and adaptive The Santa Fe Institute (SFI is a non-profit research institute located in Santa Fe New Mexico, United States, dedicated to the study of Complex systems John Henry Holland ( 2 February, 1929) is an American scientist and Professor of Psychology and Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Murray Gell-Mann (born September 15, 1929) is an American Physicist who received the 1969 Nobel Prize in physics for his work

Types of systems

Evidently, there are many types of systems that can be analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. A quantitative attribute is one that exists in a range of magnitudes and can therefore be measured. For example, with an analysis of urban systems dynamics, [A. W. Steiss] [3] defines five intersecting systems, including the physical subsystem and behavioral system. For sociological models influenced by systems theory, where Kenneth D. Bailey [4] defines systems in terms of conceptual, concrete and abstract systems; either isolated, closed, or open, Walter F. Buckley [5] defines social systems in sociology in terms of mechanical, organic, and process models. Major Kenneth Dillon Bailey ( October 21, 1910 &ndash September 27, 1942) was a Marine Corps officer who was posthumously The term "concept" is traced back to 1554–60 ( l conceptum - something conceived but what is today termed "the classical theory of concepts" is the theory of Aristotle Concrete is a construction material composed of Cement (commonly Portland cement) as well as other cementitious materials such as Fly ash and Slag Closed may refer to Math Closure (mathematics Closed manifold Closed orbits Closed An open system is a state of a System, in which a system continuously interacts with its environment Walter Frederick Buckley ( 1922, - Jan 26 2006) was an American Professor of Sociology. Organic describes forms methods and patterns found in living systems such as the organisation of cells, to Populations communities, and Ecosystems Bela H. Banathy [6] cautions that with any inquiry into a system that understanding the type of system is crucial and defines Natural and Designed systems. Béla H Bánáthy ( Gyula, Hungary, 1 Dec 1919 &ndash Chico California, 4 Sept 2003 was a Linguist, Systems scientist and

In offering these more global definitions, the author maintains that it is important not to confuse one for the other. The theorist explains that natural systems include sub-atomic systems, living systems, the solar system, the galactic system and the Universe. Living systems theory is a General theory about the existence of all living Systems their Structure, Interaction, Behavior and The Solar System consists of the Sun and those celestial objects bound to it by Gravity. Galactic is a Funk and Jazz group from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States Designed systems are our creations, our physical structures, hybrid systems which include natural and designed systems, and our conceptual knowledge. The human element of organization and activities are emphazized with their relevant abstract systems and representations. A key consideration in making distinctions among various types of systems is to determine how much freedom the system has to select purpose, goals, methods, tools, etc. and how widely is the freedom to select distributed (or concentrated) in the system.

George J. Klir [7] maintains that no "classification is complete and perfect for all purposes," and defines systems in terms of abstract, real, and conceptual physical systems, bounded and unbounded systems, discrete to continuous, pulse to hybrid systems, et cetera. George Jiri Klir (born 1932 Prague, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech-American Computer scientist and professor of Systems sciences at the Center A conceptual system is a system that is comprised of non- physical objects i In Physics the word system has a technical meaning namely it is the portion of the physical Universe chosen for analysis In the theory of Dynamical systems an unbounded system is a System that has no Bound; i A hybrid system is a Dynamic system that exhibits both continuous and discrete dynamic behavior — a system that can both flow (described by a Differential equation The interaction between systems and their environments are categorized in terms of absolutely closed systems, relatively closed, and open systems. A Closed system is a System in the state of being isolated from the environment An open system is a state of a System, in which a system continuously interacts with its environment The case of an absolutely closed system is a rare, special case. Important distinctions have also been made between hard and soft systems. [8] Hard systems are associated with areas such as systems engineering, operations research and quantitative systems analysis. Systems engineering is an Interdisciplinary field of Engineering that focuses on how complex engineering projects should be designed and managed Soft systems are commonly associated with concepts developed by Peter Checkland through Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) involving methods such as action research and emphasizing participatory designs. Peter Checkland (1930 Birmingham, UK) is a British management scientist and professor of Systems at Lancaster University. Soft Systems Methodology ( SSM) is an approach to organisational process modelling and it can be used both for general Problem solving and in the management of change Action research is a Reflective process of progressive Problem solving led by individuals working with others in teams or as part of a " Community of practice Where hard systems might be identified as more "scientific," the distinction between them is actually often hard to define.

Cultural system

Main article: Cultural system

A cultural system may be defined as the interaction of different elements of culture. A cultural system may be defined as the interaction of different elements of Culture. Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic While a cultural system is quite different from a social system, sometimes both systems together are referred to as the sociocultural system. Social structure is a term frequently used in Sociology and Social theory — yet rarely defined or clearly conceptualised (Abercrombie et al Sociology (from Latin: socius "companion" and the suffix -ology "the study of" from Greek λόγος lógos "knowledge" A major concern in the social sciences is the problem of order. One way that social order has been theorized is according to the degree of integration of cultural and social factors.

Economic system

Main article: Economic system

An economic system is a mechanism (social institution) which deals with the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services in a particular society. An economic system is a System that involves the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services between Social organization or social institution, refers to a group of Social positions connected by Social relations performing a Social role. Distribution (or place) is one of the four elements of Marketing mix. In economics consumption is the primary motivating force in the wealth or utility maximizing paradigm A service is the non-material equivalent of a good. A service provision is an economic activity that does not result in Ownership, and this is what differentiates A society is a Population of Humans characterized by patterns of relationships between individuals that share a distinctive Culture and Institutions The economic system is composed of people, institutions and their relationships to resources, such as the convention of property. The term person is used in Common sense to mean an individual Human being. Institutions are structures and mechanisms of Social order and Cooperation governing the Behavior of a Set of Individuals A convention is a set of agreed, stipulated or generally accepted Standards norms social norms or criteria, often taking the form of Property is any physical or virtual entity that is owned by an individual It addresses the problems of economics, like the allocation and scarcity of resources. Economics is the social science that studies the production distribution, and consumption of goods and services.

Application of the system concept

Generally systems modeling is a basic principle in engineering and in social sciences. The system is the representation of the entities under concern. Hence inclusion to or exclusion from system context is dependent of the intention of the modeler.

No model of a system will include all features of the real system of concern, and no model of a system must include all entities belonging to a real system of concern.

Systems in information and computer science

In computer science and information science, system could also be a method or an algorithm. Computer science (or computing science) is the study and the Science of the theoretical foundations of Information and Computation and their Information science is an interdisciplinary science primarily concerned with the collection classification, manipulation storage retrieval and dissemination In Object-oriented programming, the term method refers to a Subroutine that is exclusively associated either with a class (called class methods In Mathematics, Computing, Linguistics and related subjects an algorithm is a sequence of finite instructions often used for Calculation Again, an example will illustrate: There are systems of counting, as with Roman numerals, and various systems for filing papers, or catalogues, and various library systems, of which the Dewey Decimal System is an example. Roman numerals are a Numeral system originating in ancient Rome, adapted from Etruscan numerals. The Dewey Decimal Classification ( DDC, also called the Dewey Decimal System) is a Proprietary system of Library classification developed This still fits with the definition of components which are connected together (in this case in order to facilitate the flow of information).

System can also be used referring to a framework, be it software or hardware, designed to allow software programs to run, see platform. In Computing, a platform describes some sort of Hardware architecture or Software framework (including Application frameworks, that allows

Systems in engineering

In engineering, the concept of a system is usually well defined. It is used in numerous different concrete contexts, and it is the subject of the basic engineering activities, such as: planning, design, implementation, building, and maintaining. Systems engineering is also a generalized theoretical branch of the different engineering approaches and paradigms. Systems engineering is an Interdisciplinary field of Engineering that focuses on how complex engineering projects should be designed and managed The word paradigm ( Greek:παράδειγμα (paradigmacomposite from para- and the verb δείχνυμι "to show" as a whole -roughly- meaning "example"

Systems in social and cognitive sciences and management research

Social and cognitive sciences recognize systems in human person models and in human societies. They include human brain functions and human mental processes as well as normative ethics systems and social/cultural behavioral patterns.

In management science, operations research and organizational development (OD), human organizations are viewed as systems (conceptual systems) of interacting components such as subsystems or system aggregates, which are carriers of numerous complex processes and organizational structures. Management science (MS, is the discipline of using Mathematical modeling and other analytical methods to help make better business Management decisions Operations Research (OR in North America South Africa and Australia and Operational Research in Europe is an interdisciplinary branch of applied Mathematics and Organization development (OD is the process through which an organization develops the internal capacity to most efficiently and effectively provide its mission work and to sustain itself Organizational development theorist Peter Senge developed the notion of organizations as systems in his book The Fifth Discipline. Peter Michael Senge (born 1947 is an American scientist and director of the Center for Organizational Learning at the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Systems thinking is a style of thinking/reasoning and problem solving. Systems thinking is a unique approach to problem solving in that it views certain "problems" as parts of an overall system rather than focusing on individual outcomes and contributing Reasoning is the cognitive process of looking for Reasons for beliefs conclusions actions or feelings It starts from the recognition of system properties in a given problem. It can be a leadership competency. Some people can think globally while acting locally. Such people consider the potential consequences of their decisions on other parts of larger systems. This is also a basis of systemic coaching in psychology. This article refers to the act of coaching people For other uses of the word see Coach (disambiguation Coaching -a definitionProminent

Organizational theorists such as Margaret Wheatley have also described the workings of organizational systems in new metaphoric contexts, such as quantum physics, chaos theory, and the self-organization of systems. Margaret J Wheatley (commonly Meg Wheatley) is a writer and Management consultant who studies Organizational behavior. Quantum mechanics is the study of mechanical systems whose dimensions are close to the Atomic scale such as Molecules Atoms Electrons In Mathematics, chaos theory describes the behavior of certain dynamical systems – that is systems whose state evolves with time – that may exhibit dynamics that Self-organization is a process of Attraction and repulsion in which the internal organization of a System, normally an open system, increases

In modern systemic socio-cognitive engineering the concept system is generalized to so-called intelligence-based systems. Socio-cognitive or sociocognitive describes integrated cognitive and Social properties of Systems Processes functions The Top-down Object-based Goal-oriented Approach (TOGA meta-theory) integrates formally the concepts of system, process, function and goal in frame of one congruent conceptualization meta-system. In engineering in psychology as well as in common parlance function denotes the property of something which is used/applied for an objective/ goal / Purpose / Scope A goal or objective consists of a projected state of affairs which a Person or a System plans or intends to achieve or bring about — a personal or Among others, this paradigm enables the computational analysis of heterogeneous human-organization-technology aggregates and recognition of their pathological properties such as organization vulnerability, crisis and changes [9]. For other uses of the word "Vulnerability" please refer to Vulnerability (computing You may also want to refer to Natural disaster. A crisis (plural crises may occur on a personal or societal level

See also

Examples of systems

Literature

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, term system.
  2. ^ [Michael Pidwirny], Definitions of Systems and Models, 1999-2007.
  3. ^ Steiss 1967, p. 8-18.
  4. ^ Bailey, 1994.
  5. ^ Buckley, 1967.
  6. ^ Banathy, 1997.
  7. ^ Klir 1969, pp. 69-72
  8. ^ Checkland 1997; Flood 1999.
  9. ^ Adam Maria Gadomski, Modeling of socio-cognitive vulnerability - TOGA meta-theory approach *, International Workshop on Complex Network and Infrastructure Protection, CNIP2006, Rome

External links

Dictionary

system

-noun

  1. A collection of organized things; as in a solar system.
  2. A way of organising or planning.
  3. A whole composed of relationships among the members.
  4. (music) A set of staffs that indicate instruments or sounds that are to be played simultaneously.
  5. (mathematics) A set of equations involving the same variables, which are to be solved simultaneously.
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