BCSSS

International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics

2nd Edition, as published by Charles François 2004 Presented by the Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science Vienna for public access.

About

The International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics was first edited and published by the system scientist Charles François in 1997. The online version that is provided here was based on the 2nd edition in 2004. It was uploaded and gifted to the center by ASC president Michael Lissack in 2019; the BCSSS purchased the rights for the re-publication of this volume in 200?. In 2018, the original editor expressed his wish to pass on the stewardship over the maintenance and further development of the encyclopedia to the Bertalanffy Center. In the future, the BCSSS seeks to further develop the encyclopedia by open collaboration within the systems sciences. Until the center has found and been able to implement an adequate technical solution for this, the static website is made accessible for the benefit of public scholarship and education.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

MODEL BUILDING (Iterative process in) 2)3)

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Obviously, when a model is put to practical use, its reliability is frequently doubtful.

The modeler should always be aware of the limits of the model's validity and, in consequence, revalidate it frequently: we should remember St. BEER warnings about the "surrogate world we manage" (1973).

Unfortunately, modelers, in many cases, do not recognize discrepancies and perturb heavily the concrete process or system by taking erroneous decisions and stick to them, even against strong evidence.

To avoid this, modelization should be iterative, as advocated by St. BEER. This is stated by J. ARACIL as follows: "The mechanism underlying the model should be frequently reviewed throughout the modeling process. These revisions are made in such a way that the successive models progressively fit in with the modeled object. The building up of a model is an iterative process where successive theoretical frameworks (normally re-elaborations of former ones) are adapted" (1986, p.243).

As a synthesis, iterative construction of models is a cybernetic process based on mental feedback.

Categories

  • 1) General information
  • 2) Methodology or model
  • 3) Epistemology, ontology and semantics
  • 4) Human sciences
  • 5) Discipline oriented

Publisher

Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science(2020).

To cite this page, please use the following information:

Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science (2020). Title of the entry. In Charles François (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics (2). Retrieved from www.systemspedia.org/[full/url]

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