ORDER PARAMETER APPROACH
Charles François (2004). ORDER PARAMETER APPROACH, International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(2): 2389.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 2389 ▶ |
| Object type | Epistemology, ontology or semantics, Methodology or model |
The selection of some specific viewpoint or level for the study of a system.
R. SERRA and G. ZANARINI state: “The key concept in the ”order parameter approach“ is that there are privileged viewpoints for studying complex systems. There are alternative descriptions which render some aspects comprehensible, while others are useless or frustrating. We can speak of ”comprehensibility windows“, i.e. of description levels which allow a reasonable treatment of the system, while capturing its essential features” (1987, p.112).
As an example, the authors use Brownian motion, that can be viewed at the microscopic, mesoscopic or macroscopic level. This approach can be applied to cultural as well as natural systems.