CRITICAL VALUE
Charles François (2004). CRITICAL VALUE, International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(1): 764.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 764 ▶ |
| Object type | General information, Methodology or model |
A parameter value bringing about a sudden change in a process or in the state of a system.
Critical values are more or less easy to determine and to measure in physical and biological systems. In ecosystems, it is already more difficult to find out what exactly should be measured.
Critical values also obviously exist in economic and social systems: Their crossing leads for example to runaway inflation, devaluations of currencies, revolutions, wars and empires collapses. However, the sensible parameters themselves must first be discovered, which is no mean task.