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

ZONE of ACTIVITY 1)4)

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Part of the environment where a system is capable to exert some action (A. LOTKA, 1956, p.344-5).

This concept, can be applied to all living and meta-living systems, if one understands by action the product of a correlation device between the system and its environment.

For some physical systems, as for example planetary systems or stellar ones, the correlation exists and also defines a zone of activity. However, this zone is a field, more or less diffuse and it could be spoken of receptors, elaborators and effectors without semantic misuse.

LOTKA emits some interesting comments:

1. The systems behavior can be deeply modified and eventually polarized if a new element or factor is introduced in its zone of activity;

2. The dimensions of this zone may be modified if the system increases or reduces somehow its perception or action's ability;

3. There is an important difference, within the zone of activity between merely reactive behaviors and duly planned ones;

4. The zones of activity of two or more interactive systems are not necessarily symmetrical, nor fully superposed.

LOTKA distinguishes a "zone of influence" and a "zone of mobility". The second one does not necessarily includes the whole of the former one. LOTKA gives the interesting example of the constellations used by a seafarer to orient himself, but on which he has no power whatsoever. Or, in human societies, the influences that an individual receives are. Generally quite more important than those he is himself capable to exert.

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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