SYSTEM and Environment
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 3328 ▶ |
| Object type | General information |
1. Any system appears as a discernable entity within its surroundings. This entity is endowed with a defined identity and a relative permanence.
2. To any system corresponds a significant environment, which is that part of the universe with which the system has occasional or frequent and characteristic exchanges.
3. The system possesses a membrane or boundary, permeable in a selective way, composed of elements that are able to interact with certain types of elements in the environment and also with some specific internal elements. This means that the boundary is an interface.
4. The system obtains from its environment whatever inputs it needs for its construction and maintenance.
5. The system devolves to its environment the specific products of its activity, transformed or degraded energy, re-elaborated information, but also wastes and noise.
6. The system and its environment, through their interactions, undergo reciprocal transformations.
7. When the system finally disappears, its elements recover their independence and scatter within the environment or become incorporated in other systems. However, quite frequently some trace or record of the system remains for a more or less long period. (See “Aura”).