SIZE (Optimum)
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 3063 ▶ |
| Object type | General information, Human sciences, Methodology or model |
The functional efficiency of a system is related to its size, which in turn depends in some measure from the nature of its environment. Marine mammals, for example may be bigger than terrestrial ones, as they benefit from water buoyancy.
In a similar way, the optimal size of a group or society (insect or human) is a function of its communication means. This may explain why some past empires declined and fell: overextended communication lines (as related to communication means) and consequent time lags in needed reactions may have been a cause of disruption.
It also explains why archaic groups, as for example equatorial forests dwellers, living off quite limited natural resources exploited with very simple tools, cannot reach a high population level.