REGULATION (Polycentric)
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 2806 ▶ |
| Object type | General information, Human sciences, Methodology or model |
The existence of various regulators at different levels and places in a complex system.
A completely centralized regulation in a quite complex system faces the problem of time lags: in many cases the central regulator acts upon conditions that have already changed and becomes inefficient, if not downright harmful. Moreover, when long communication lines are needed, noise may distort the information (both bottom up and top down) and induce inadequate responses.
While a global regulator is still needed in order to maintain the general coherence in the system, regulation may at least be partially decentralized. Local and specific regulators may be set up, in conformity with the heterogeneous character of the system. This leads to a degree of heterarchy, giving autonomy to functional subsystems.
This type of organization exists in physiology. It could be generalized in human systems, and even probably in complex artificial systems.