SYSTEMS

DEFINITION.

A system is an assemblage of inter-related elements comprising a unified whole. From the Latin and Greek, the term "system" meant to combine, to set up, to place together. A sub-system is a system which is part of another system. A system typically consists of components (or elements) which are connected together in order to facilitate the flow of information, matter or energy. The term is often used to describe a set of entities which interact, and for which a mathematical model can often be constructed.

The world (and Universe) is full of systems. Some are organic, some are inorganic, some are naturally existent, and some are man made.

TYPES OF SYSTEMS.

An open system can be influenced by events outside of the declared boundaries of a system. A closed system is self-contained: outside events can have no influence upon the system.

In practice many things are a mixture of the two. For example a prison is a closed system because the prisoners can't get out, and the wardens spend most of their time at the prison. However it is also an open system, because it depends on outside factors and the prisoners and wardens do go outside. Dynamic systems have components or flows or both, that change over time.

Another distinction is the relation of physical systems to conceptual systems. Physical systems are systems of matter and energy. Conceptual systems are made up of ideas. Conceptual systems generally exist to aid in the accomplishment of specific goals or may be used to model physical systems.