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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.

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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.

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SIGNALS (Discrete or continuous) 2)

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G. PASK discusses the different characteristics of discrete or continuous signals.

He observes: "Discrete signals carry with them greater assurance, for the instrument (Note: i.e. the detector) only needs to decide which one of a few signals occurred" (1961a, p.125).

This is the reason for the generaliuzed use of digital codes in place of analogical ones.

As stated by PASK: "Generally, the discrete signals leave less uncertainty about their source than continuous signals both for organisms and machines". Even so, "Various coding schemes, more or less efficient, more or less fallible can be used; for example, in a discrete system the intervals between individual pips mayor may not be a signal and able to convey information" (Ibid).

As an example of continuous signal, PASK offers "… the concentration of a specific chemical hormone in the bloodstream" (Ibid).

Continuous signals seem best adapted for the regulation of systems oscillating within a stability zone limited by some thresholds, i.e. homeostatic systems.

Categories

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

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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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