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

DEVIATION – AMPLIFICATION PROCESS 1)2)

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A process resulting from constantly repeated positive feedback.

This type of processes correspond to M. MARUYAMA's "mutual-causal relationships that amplify an insignificant or accidental initial kick, build up deviation and diverge from the initial condition" (1963, p.165). It easily leads to runaway situations or widening fluctuations, sometimes destructive or, in other cases eventually conducive to dissipative structuration.

MARUYAMA describes these processes as resulting from positive feedback and leading to morphogenesis.

However some caveats should be taken in account:

- Any unchecked positive feedback leads unavoidedly to the destruction of the system because it rapidly overwhelms the capacity of the environmental sources to sustain the process (Fires, hyper-inflation, market crashes)

- Amplified fluctuations may lead to dissipative structuration, as in PRIGOGINE's thermodynamics. In this case, they lead to the emergence of a more complex system.

- In MARUYAMA's examples positive feedbacks are generally controlled by self-limitating reciprocal rules, within a limited substrate. A constant source of energy is not specified, but obviously necessary. These are the factors that orient and put morphogenesis on a defined track. Such processes are quite similar to J. CONWAY's games of life.

As understood by MARUYAMA, and according to R.L. HOLLOWAY Jr. "Deviation – amplification adds the dimension of time and direction to… the generation of structure by incorporating the necessary loop of positive feedback" (1966, p.7).

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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