PERIODICITY (Linear)
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 2531 ▶ |
| Object type | Methodology or model |
Periodicity of a function which can be reduced to a combination of a set of simple linear functions, even if complex.
Writes F. ROBB: “The elucidation of such functions has been the overriding concern of scientific analysis. The results have often passed off as causal ”explanation“. From this point of view, a complex linear system is seen as being no more than the sum of its parts, and the behavior of the whole can be reduced to that of a simple operator” (1989, p.55).
However, complex systems are generally nonlinear. This is the rule when three or more initial conditions act simultaneously in different parts of the system. In this situation, the global determinism becomes highly complex and leads to a growing randomness which makes the behavior of the system more or less unpredictable.