Adapatation

In order to survive in a continuously changing environment, a system must be able to accomodate or adjust to new conditions. The basic formula of adaptation is where some external disturbance tends to drive an essential variable outside its normal limits; but the commencing change itself activates a mechanism that opposes the external disturbance. More >>

Ambiguity

The coexistence of more than one meaning or interpretation of a symbol, message or process. Ambiguity can also be seen as something that is in continual development and open to determination; whose form and/or behavior is always changing and thus may be unclear.

Autonomy

Literally, self-governed. The capacity for a system to assert itself, determine its own organization and determine for itself the interactions which it consideres relevant. Sometimes referred to as exhibiting operational or organizational closure. More >>

Autopoiesis

Literally, self-production. The concept was introduced by Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela to describe a process whereby an organization produces itself. An autopoietic organization is an autonomous and self-maintaining unity which contains component-producing processes (i.e., it’s recursive and circular). More >>

Boundary

That which distinguishes a system from its environment.

Complexity

Behavior that is not clearly random nor ordered. Complexity arises when several (often many) components interact with each other in multiple ways.

Complex systems are unpredictable, exhibiting shifting, unstable patterns; the often lead to emergent phenomena. More >>

Emergence

Process by which complex systems arise out of a diverse set of simple interactions. Emergent processes result from collective self-organization. Often described as a phenomenon that results from relations between parts of a system that cannot be deduced from complete knowledge of the functioning of those individual parts in isolation (Dessalles, Müller, & Phan, 2007)

Feedback

The flow of information back to its origin. A circular causal process in which a system’s output is returned to its input.

Hierarchy

Asserts that any system is a sub-system of a higher order system. A form of organization whereby each level is subordinate to the one above it. An organization whose components are arranged in levels from a top level down to a bottom level.

Holism

The complete, entire view of that system, emphasizing that the state of a system must be assessed in its entirety and cannot be assessed through its individual components. Dividing a system into its separate parts is considered destructive to that system and single parts within a system should not be prioritized. More >>

Information

Patterns that can be observed within a particular material substrate (e.g. silicon) that leads to the formation of other patterns. Information is “virtual” in that it does not exists until an observing system (e.g. a mind) constructs or renders it. That which reduces uncertainty (Claude Shannon); that which changes us (Gregory Bateson). More >>

Interdependency

A phenomena whereby every part of a system is having an effect on every other part of the system. Change in one part of the system will result in a change in another part.

Interface

The point of a system’s interaction or input and output with the environment; typically where informational interchange takes place.

Observer

A person who watches or notices something. The source of evidence or information. More >>

Open vs. Closed Systems

Open systems have some sort of linkage to and/or interaction with the environment. They exchange matter, energy or information with the environment. Closed systems do no interact or change according to the environment.

Order from Noise Principle

Dubbed by cyberneticist Heinz Von Foerster, this refers to the idea that noise in a complex system might well lead to further organization, in a paradoxical effect.

Self-organization

A process whereby some structures, components, functions or behaviors arise spontaneously out of the local interactions between the originally unorganized components of a system and its surrounding environment. This process is not directed or controlled by any agent or subsystem inside or outside of the system. A self-organizing system does not exist in isolation from its environment and in fact can be seen as the system, its environment and their interactions taken together. More >>

Self-regulation & homeostasis

The condition of a system when, in the face of unexpected disturbances, is able to maintain its essential variables within limits acceptable to its own structure. More >>

System

A set of components that are related in some manner. A set of variables selected by an observer (Ashby, 1960). More >>

More Cybernetic & Systems concepts can be found here.