DECOMPOSITION
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 838 ▶ |
| Object type | Methodology or model |
The construction of a model of a system in such a way as to conspicuously show its subsystems and/or elements.
M. TODA and E. SHUFORD state: “For a decomposition to be meaningful, there must be some means to obtain information about the state of each subsystem generated by the decomposition” (1965, p.8).
According to J.van GIGCH, decomposition allows “the decentralization of authority and of tasks” (1978, p.589).
There is a reductionist way and a systemic one to build a decomposed model of a system.
The first one is mainly interested in the elements themselves, because they are supposed to conceal the fundamental nature of the system. A good example is the quest for the basic, ultimate elementary particles in micro-physics.
The systemic decomposition seeks to understand the significant interrelations among the structural-functional parts of the system, i.e. the critical subsystems (In J.G. MILLER's sense).
Both types of decompositions are interesting and useful in their own way. In many cases, they could — and should — be used in a complementary way.