SYSTEM (Nonequilibrium)
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 3385 ▶ |
| Object type | Methodology or model |
Any system that “… through internal amplification or fluctuations, may cross instability thresholds and form… dissipative structures” (E. JANTSCH & C. WADDINGTON, 1976, p.71).
The theory of nonequilibrium systems has been firmly established by I. PRIGOGINE.
The appearence of dissipative structures corresponds to the emergence of “… new dynamic regimes which represent a new ordering principle beyond the thermodynamic branch (which describes order near equilibrium). Such dissipative structures can be maintained only through energy exchange with the environment” (Ibid., p.72).
When the new dissipative structures become stabilized, the emerged system may settle down at a higher level of entropy production and thus reach a new equilibrium at this corresponding higher level of complexity.