EQUILIBRIUM STATES
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 1157 ▶ |
| Object type | Methodology or model |
Any equilibrium is necessarily related to the specific dynamics of the environment on which it depends for its permanence or modification. According to R.N. ADAMS: “Equilibrium structures do not have to do anything to maintain equilibrium; the environment does it all” (1988, p.124).
Three different states of equilibrium are generally recognized, as exemplified by ASHBY (see “Equilibrium”):
What differs in these three different types of equilibrium is the importance of the environmental disturbance needed to modify the existing state.
From the topological viewpoint, the same states could possibly be characterized as follows:
- stable: immobility after convergence on a uni-dimensional attractor;
- neutral: indefinition within the limits of a two dimensional attractor;
- unstable: included within a chaotic attractor, or runing toward a one dimensional attractor.