FUNCTION (Distributed)
Charles François (2004). FUNCTION (Distributed), International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(1): 1354.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 1354 ▶ |
| Object type | General information, Methodology or model |
A function that may eventually be fulfilled by different groups of elements within a complex system.
In complex systems (a species, a brain, a society) numerous groups of elements more or less independant from each others, even when interconnected, are potentially able to fulfill the same function.
Thanks to such a mode of organization, the destruction of some group of elements does not imply, at least in some cases, the elimination of the function that they fulfilled. After a time another group form, able to insert itself into the global organization in a new way, and fulfill totally or partially the function.
Distributed functions implies redundancy in the system.