EQUILIBRIUM (Global)
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 1148 ▶ |
| Object type | General information, Methodology or model |
W.R. ASHBY states: “That a whole dynamic system should be in equilibrium at a particular state it is necessary and sufficient that each part should be in equilibrium at that state, in the conditions given to it by the other parts” (1960, p. 79).
Of course, this is an “ideal” state, never practically reached by a dynamical system, as ASHBY himself recognizes: “Clearly at any state of the whole, if a single part is not at equilibrium (even though the remainder are) this part will change, will provide new conditions for the other parts, will thus start them moving again, and will thus prevent that state from being one of equilibrium for the whole. As equilibrium of the whole requires that all the parts be in equilibrium, we can say (metaphorically) that every part has a power of veto over the states of equilibrium of the whole”(Ibid).
Practically, the oscillations will be permanent.