BCSSS

International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics

2nd Edition, as published by Charles François 2004 Presented by the Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science Vienna for public access.

About

The International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics was first edited and published by the system scientist Charles François in 1997. The online version that is provided here was based on the 2nd edition in 2004. It was uploaded and gifted to the center by ASC president Michael Lissack in 2019; the BCSSS purchased the rights for the re-publication of this volume in 200?. In 2018, the original editor expressed his wish to pass on the stewardship over the maintenance and further development of the encyclopedia to the Bertalanffy Center. In the future, the BCSSS seeks to further develop the encyclopedia by open collaboration within the systems sciences. Until the center has found and been able to implement an adequate technical solution for this, the static website is made accessible for the benefit of public scholarship and education.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

ORDER 1)2)

The set of possible interrelations (synchronic and diachronic) among elements, arranged in a collection or in a system.

According to E. LASZLO: "Order in a system refers to the invariance that underlies its transformations of state, and by means of which the system's structure can be identified" (1974, p.210).

However "these relations… can undergo transformations" (Ibid). An hydrogen atom in a water molecule can be again separated, and enter in other combinations. However, through fusion, it disappears, becoming partly an element of an helium atom, "minus a radiated surplus of energy" (Ibid).

The concept of order also becomes more and more elusive at higher degrees of complexity.

The concept of order includes structures, functions and, or processes.

At least three different types of order may be distinguished:

1° – Algorithmic order

The complete set of possible interrelations is precisely prescribed in a set of invariable instructions. Generally the sequential order of succession of the various but exclusively possible states is also prescribed.

2° – Statistical order

The set of possible interrelations becomes slowly revealed by a sufficient number of observations or experiments.

The sequential order of the possible states is frequently indeterminated (Markov chains, Chaos).

If an algorithm can be extracted from the statistics, its predictive value remains always doubtful: Averages are never totally free of atypical fluctuations.

3° – Innovative order

This is the so-called order (or complexity) from noise. It is proper of self-organizing systems who enhance their variety by using part of their internal redundancy to give significance to noise coming from their environment.

The study of increase, conservation or destruction of order are considered among others by synergetics, thermodynamics and autonomy theory under its various guises.

Categories

  • 1) General information
  • 2) Methodology or model
  • 3) Epistemology, ontology and semantics
  • 4) Human sciences
  • 5) Discipline oriented

Publisher

Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science(2020).

To cite this page, please use the following information:

Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science (2020). Title of the entry. In Charles François (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics (2). Retrieved from www.systemspedia.org/[full/url]


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