STEADY STATE and ENVIRONMENT
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 3192 ▶ |
| Object type | General information, Human sciences |
The steady state of a system can be maintained only as much as its environment remains mostly homeostatic, i.e. characterized by a rate of change very inferior to the adaptive capacity of the system. This is consonant with:
- ASHBY's Law of requisite variety
- VENDRYES' concept of counter-aleatory reserves
Furthermore, the system must be very small in comparison with its environment, as its own transformations should not disturb it seriously.
An interesting example is the relatively small total mass of the living beings, compared with the total mass of the planet. Thus, these living systems are able to maintain their steady state. However, the enormous power of the human mass presently growing on the planet, could possibly alter some aspects of the global steady state of the latter.
In any case, the steady state of a system involves a set of permanent imbalances between the system and its environment.