STASIS
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 3174 ▶ |
| Object type | Discipline oriented, Methodology or model |
1) The balance between various forces in equilibrium.
Stasis may appear at some nodes in permanently interacting fields. It could be the origin of stable forms and homeostasis (d'Arcy THOMPSON, 1916 — C. LAVILLE, 1950).
2) The state of stability reached by a species after a phase of swift evolution.
The concept has been introduced in paleontology and evolution theory by St. GOULD and N. ELDREDGE, who speak of “Punctuated equilibrium and macroevolution” (1993, p.223).
It seems to be a mere synonym for homeostasis (in populations). The authors write: “… stasis does not signify rock-hard immobility, but fluctuation of little or no consequence” (p.226).
The curious parallelism with PRIGOGINE's theorem of minimum entropy production from one side, and his dissipative structuration in far-from-equilibrium systems from the other, is striking and should be investigated.