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

COMPLEMENTARITY 2)

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A way of organization whose "governing relation is symmetrical dependence" (FEIBLEMAN, J.& FRIEND, J.W., 1969, p.36).

This organization mode is related to models of integrated systems, as parts can hardly survive their splitting off. Complementarity implies that parts of different identities fit usefully, or at least satisfactorily with each other.

Complementarity is typical of very complex and heterogeneous systems, in which numerous functions and structures can operate and maintain themselves only by cooperation.

Complementarity is quite obvious, for example in James G. MILLER's description of the 20 critical subsystems in living systems.

As a concept, complementarity carries some semantic ambiguity. According to J.A. GOGUEN and F.J. VARELA: "Our usual way of thinking about pairs of descriptive notions is biased in the direction of regarding them as mutual negations of the general form not-A/A. It is the case, however, that many of the most important such pairs operate by mutual specifications, that is, are complementary. We mention in particular, content/form; semantics/syntax; autonomy/control; net/tree; minimal-model/behavior; simultaneous/sequential and environment/system" (1979, p.40).

Others complementarities are: being/ becoming; levogyre/dextrogyre (in molecules and crystals); stability and change. Moreover, complementarity is not merely binary: many different processes and/or functions enter into intricate associations in complex systems.

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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