Chapter 1 — Chapter 1 — Introduction to Systems

A system is an organized set of components that work together (communicate) to achieve a common goal in an environment. Systems theory studies how systems and sub-systems operate, integrate, grow and change over time. Basic concepts: Objective (purpose: processing information — brain; supporting other systems — cell phone; achieving specific goals — thermostat), Components (building blocks, each with a role), Environment (everything external that gives inputs and receives outputs) and Communication (exchange of information among components and with the environment). Environments may be static (unchanged unless the system gives output) or dynamic (changes independently); deterministic (output impact fully known) or non-deterministic (uncertain/random). Simple system: thermostat; complex: human body, computer network.