SYSTEM (Life cycle of a)
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 3375 ▶ |
| Object type | General information |
All systems — except possibly the most elemental particles described or postulated by microphysics — go through a life cycle, that can be described chronologically as follows:
- autogenesis: shaping of the entity (entitation) by association of formerly independent elements (V.CSANYI);
- morphogenesis: structural and functional development of the system by internal differentiation or/and absorption and assimilation of external elements;
- homeostasis: structural and functional stabilization of the system, with fluctuations within limits;
- sclerosis: by progressive reduction of the fluctuation and regulation capacity;
- dissolution: terminal loss of coherence, heterogeneity and identity and dispersal of the constitutive elements.
This is even true for very stable atoms caught in some cosmic cataclism.
However, in some cases, a system may leave some trace (as for example petrified “wood”, which is in fact stone).
H. PRAT called these traces “aura”.