CONFLUENT
Charles François (2004). CONFLUENT, International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(1): 604.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 604 ▶ |
| Object type | Methodology or model |
The collecting point, area or volume of a number of lines of behavior.
This is the name W.R. ASHBY gave to what is now generally known as an attractor (1960, p.185). Each confluent corresponds either to a state of equilibrium or to a closed cycle of specific states (in topological terminology a vicinity, or a basin).
According to St. BEER, a confluent is structured by a set of lines of entropic drift (1968, p.476).
In homeostatic systems, any process tends to return to its proper confluent until ejected from its basin by some very strong disturbance.