HIERARCHIES (Properties of)
Charles François (2004). HIERARCHIES (Properties of), International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(1): 1538.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 1538 ▶ |
| Object type | Methodology or model |
According to B. WALLISER: “The properties of hierarchies may be studied from three viewpoints:
- “- their organization is arborescent, the nodes being formed from homogeneous or heterogeneous objects and the characteristical relations connect every object, in principle in an exclusive way, to some immediately superior object. Moreover the tree is generally characterized by its depth (number of levels) and its extension (average number of descendants per object);
- “- their workings result of the complementary or alternative behavior of the different entities, and of the concrete interactions between levels (interactions of various types and frequencies). The global structure is sometimes related to some environment, itself hierarchical, with communication at each level;
- “- their evolution includes the initial upbuilding which quite naturally takes place by successive levels, but also includes either the ulterior rebuilding related to the modular modification or replacement of the elements, or a restructuration or reordering of the network of their relations” (1991 ,p.75).