FLOWS and STOCKS
Charles François (2004). FLOWS and STOCKS, International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(1): 1302.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 1302 ▶ |
| Object type | Methodology or model |
No flows can exist without the existence of sources supplied with stocks, renewable or not.
As to energy, the presence of a gradient is essential.
As to matter, the stocks or reserves must be freely available and renewable.
As to information, the “stocks” can be data banks, behavioral algorithms, acquired knowledge, etc… In these last cases, there is a curious peculiarity: The flow of information does not impoverish the sources.