ENVIRONMENT (Active)
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 1121 ▶ |
| Object type | General information, Methodology or model |
That part of the environment with whom the system carries out frequent or decisive exchanges.
The whole universe is the environment of any system. However, from a practical viewpoint, the effects of most of the environment on the system (or conversely) are infinitesimal or extremely unfrequent.
The modelizer should however beware of which could be called the “still” or “silent” environment, which is related to very long term transformation factors. These are generally unknown or ignored, but may very well appear at any time in a quite unsuspected way and play havoc with the system (or offer it undreamed of opportunities). Typical cases are a volcanic eruption, or the millenial flood of a river or, in a positive sense, an unexpected scientific or technological discovery.