Systems theory
Systems theory
Systems theory (pronunciation: /ˈsɪstəmz ˈθɪəri/) is an interdisciplinary study of systems in general, with the goal of elucidating principles that can be applied to all types of systems at all nesting levels in all fields of research. The term does not yet have a well-established, precise meaning, but systems theory can reasonably be considered a specialization of systems thinking and a generalization of systems science.
Etymology
The term "system" comes from the Latin word systēma, itself derived from the Ancient Greek σύστημα (sústēma) meaning "a whole compounded of several parts or members, system", which is itself based on the verb συνίστημι (sunistēmi), "I stand together, constitute, combine, compound".
Related terms
- Complex system: A system composed of many components which may interact with each other. In many cases, it is useful to represent such a system as a network where the nodes represent the components and the links their interactions.
- Cybernetics: The study of how systems use information, models, and control functions to survive, to adapt to their environment, and to maintain their vital variables within certain limits.
- Dynamical system: A concept in mathematics where a fixed rule describes the time dependence of a point in a geometrical space.
- Feedback: The process in which changing one quantity changes the second variable, and the change in the second variable in turn changes the first. Feedback is central to the concept of a system and is a particular case of the concept of a loop.
- System dynamics: An approach to understanding the nonlinear behaviour of complex systems over time using stocks, flows, internal feedback loops, and time delays.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Systems theory
- Wikipedia's article - Systems theory
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