STOCHASTIC EFFECTS
Charles François (2004). STOCHASTIC EFFECTS, International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(2): 3206.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 3206 ▶ |
| Object type | General information, Methodology or model |
The possible effects that can be produced by random perturbations in a system.
These effects can be either insignificant, or very serious, as explained by P.M. ALLEN et al: “Instead of stochastic effects being simply minor irritations for the modeller, producing a deviation from the ”mean“ of his predictions, we see that in fact they (may) drive the system from one state of organization to another — they are the vital force of evolutionary change” (1984, p.248).
The “vital force” of change seems in fact to be energy overload, while in the far-from-equilibrium situations thus produced, a stochastic event can act as an trigger orienting the change.
See also
Nucleation