Editing Systems science

{{short description|Study of the nature of systems}}
[[Image:Systems thinking about the society.svg|thumb|upright=1.2|right|Impression of systems thinking about society]]
{{Complex systems}}
'''Systems science''', also referred to as '''systems research'''<ref>Ison, Ray. ''Systems Practice: How to Act: In situations of uncertainty and complexity in a climate-change world'', 2nd ed, 2017. Springer, p. 166.</ref> or simply '''systems''',<ref>Ison, Ray. ''Systems Practice: How to Act: In situations of uncertainty and complexity in a climate-change world'', 2nd ed, 2017. Springer, p. 33.</ref> is a [[Transdisciplinarity|transdisciplinary]]<ref>{{cite journal | doi=10.1073/pnas.0913003109 | title=A systems science perspective and transdisciplinary models for food and nutrition security | year=2012 | last1=Hammond | first1=Ross A. | last2=Dubé | first2=Laurette | journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | volume=109 | issue=31 | pages=12356–12363 | pmid=22826247 | pmc=3411994 | bibcode=2012PNAS..10912356H | doi-access=free }}</ref> field that is concerned with understanding simple and complex [[system]]s in [[nature]] and [[society]], which leads to the advancements of formal, natural, social, and applied attributions throughout [[engineering]], [[technology]], and [[science]] itself.

To systems scientists, the world can be understood as a system of systems.<ref>G. E. Mobus & M. C. Kalton, ''Principles of Systems Science'', 2015, New York:Springer.</ref> The field aims to develop transdisciplinary foundations that are applicable in a variety of areas, such as psychology, biology, medicine, communication, business, technology, computer science, engineering, and social sciences.<ref>[[Philip M'Pherson]] (1974, p. 229); as cited by: {{cite journal |doi=10.1002/sres.2215 |title=Understanding Systems Science: A Visual and Integrative Approach |year=2013 |last1=Hieronymi |first1=Andreas |journal=Systems Research and Behavioral Science |volume=30 |issue=5 |pages=580–595 |url=http://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/231986/1/Hieronymi%202013%20Understanding%20Systems%20Science%20srbs2215.pdf }}. He defined systems science as "the ordered arrangement of knowledge acquired from the study of systems in the observable world, together with the application of this knowledge to the design of man-made systems".</ref>

Themes commonly stressed in system science are (a) holistic view, (b) interaction between a system and its embedding [[environment (systems)|environment]], and (c) complex (often subtle) trajectories of dynamic behavior that sometimes are stable (and thus reinforcing), while at various '[[boundary conditions]]' can become wildly unstable (and thus destructive). Concerns about Earth-scale biosphere/geosphere dynamics is an example of the nature of problems to which systems science seeks to contribute meaningful insights.

== Associated fields ==
The systems sciences are a broad array of fields. One way of conceiving of these is in three groups: fields that have developed systems ideas primarily through theory; those that have done so primarily through practical engagements with problem situations; and those that have applied ideas for other disciplines.<ref>[[Peter Checkland]]. 1981. Systems Thinking, Systems Practice. Chichester: Wiley.</ref>

===Theoretical fields===
====Chaos and dynamical systems====
{{Main|Chaos theory|Dynamical systems theory}}

====Complexity====
{{Main|Complex system}}

====Control theory====
{{Main|Control theory}}
* [[Affect control theory]]
* [[Control engineering]]
* [[Control systems]]

====Cybernetics====
{{Main|Cybernetics}}
* [[Autopoiesis]]
* [[Conversation theory|Conversation Theory]]
* [[Engineering cybernetics|Engineering Cybernetics]]
* [[Perceptual control theory|Perceptual Control Theory]]
* [[Management cybernetics|Management Cybernetics]]
* [[Second-order cybernetics|Second-Order Cybernetics]]
* [[Cyber–physical system|Cyber-Physical Systems]]
* [[Artificial Intelligence]]
* [[Synthetic Intelligence]]

====Information theory====
{{Main|Information theory}}

====General systems theory====
{{Main|Systems theory}}
{{See also|List of types of systems theory}}
* [[Systems theory in anthropology]]
* [[Biochemical systems theory]]
* [[Ecological systems theory]]
* [[Developmental systems theory]]
* [[General systems theory]]
* [[Living systems theory]]
* [[LTI system theory]]
* [[Social systems]]
* [[Sociotechnical systems theory]]
* [[Mathematical system theory]]
* [[World-systems theory]]

====Hierarchy Theory====
{{Main|Hierarchy theory}}

===Practical fields===
{{See also|Systems thinking}}

====Critical systems thinking====
{{Main|Critical systems thinking}}

====Operations research and management science====
{{Main|Operations research|Management science}}

====Soft systems methodology ====
{{Main|Soft systems methodology}}
The soft systems methodology was developed in [[England]] by academics at the [[University of Lancaster]] Systems Department through a ten-year [[action research]] programme. The main contributor is [[Peter Checkland]] (born 18 December 1930, in Birmingham, UK), a British management scientist and emeritus professor of systems at Lancaster University.

====Systems analysis====
{{Main|Systems analysis}}
Systems analysis branch of systems science that analyzes systems, the interactions within those systems, or interaction with its environment,<ref name="AD 1971">Anthony Debons. "Command and Control: Technology and Social Impact" in:  ''Advances in computers,'' Vol. 11. Franz L. Alt & Morris Rubinoff eds. (1971). p. 362</ref> often prior to their automation as computer models. Systems analysis is closely associated with the [[RAND corporation]].

====Systemic design====
{{Main|Systemic design}}
Systemic design integrates methodologies from [[systems thinking]] with advanced design practices to address complex, multi-stakeholder situations.

====Systems dynamics====
{{Main|Systems dynamics}}{{See also|Social dynamics|Jay Forrester|Donella Meadows}}
:[[System dynamics]] is an approach to understanding the behavior of [[complex system]]s over time. It offers "simulation technique for modeling business and social systems",<ref>Center for Complex Adaptive Agent Systems Simulation Argonne National Laboratory (2007) ''Managing Business Complexity : Discovering Strategic Solutions with Agent-Based Modeling and Simulation: Discovering Strategic Solutions with Agent-Based Modeling and Simulation.'' Oxford University Press. p. 55</ref> which deals with internal feedback loops and time delays that affect the behavior of the entire system.  What makes using system dynamics different from other approaches to studying complex systems is the use of [[feedback]] loops and [[Stock and flow|stocks and flows]].

==== Systems engineering ====
{{Main|Systems engineering|Systems design}}
:Systems engineering (SE) is an interdisciplinary field of [[engineering]], that focuses on the development and organization of complex [[system]]s. It is the "art and science of creating whole solutions to complex problems",<ref>Derek K. Hitchins (2008) ''Systems Engineering: A 21st Century Systems Methodology.'' p. 100</ref>  for example: [[signal processing]] systems, [[control system]]s and [[communication system]], or other forms of high-level modelling and design in specific fields of engineering. Systems Science is foundational to the [[Embedded software development|Embedded Software Development]] that is founded in the embedded requirements of Systems Engineering.
* [[Aerospace Engineering|Aerospace systems]]
* [[Biological systems engineering]]
* [[Earth systems engineering and management]]
* [[Electronics|Electronic systems]]
* [[Enterprise systems engineering]]
* [[Software systems]]
* [[Systems analysis]]

=== Applications in other disciplines ===
==== Earth system science ====
{{Main|Earth system science}}
* [[Climate Science|Climate systems]]
* [[Systems geology]]

==== Systems biology ====
{{Main|Systems biology}}
* [[Computational systems biology]]
* [[Synthetic biology]]
* [[Systems immunology]]
* [[Systems neuroscience]]

==== Systems chemistry ====
{{Main|Systems chemistry}}

==== Systems ecology ====
{{Main|Systems ecology}}
* [[Ecosystem ecology]]
* [[Agroecology]]

==== Systems psychology ====
{{Main|Systems psychology}}
* [[Ergonomics]]
* [[Family systems theory]]
* [[Systemic therapy]]

== See also ==
{{div col}}
* {{Portal inline|size=tiny|Systems science}}
* [[Antireductionism]]
* [[Evolutionary prototyping]]
* [[Holism]]
* [[Cybernetics]]
* [[System engineering]]
* [[System Dynamics]]
* [[Systemics]]
* [[System equivalence]]
* [[Systems theory]]
* [[Tektology]]
* [[World-systems theory]]
* [[Complex Systems]]
{{div col end}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book|author=B. A. Bayraktar|title=Education in Systems Science|date=1979|pages=369}}
* [[Kenneth D. Bailey (sociologist)|Kenneth D. Bailey]], "Fifty Years of Systems Science:Further Reflections", ''Systems Research and Behavioral Science'', 22, 2005, pp.&nbsp;355–361. {{doi|10.1002/sres.711}}
* [[Robert L. Flood]], Ewart R Carson, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=x7O2BwAAQBAJ&q=%22An+Introduction+to+the+Theory+and+Application+of+Systems+Science%22 Dealing with Complexity: An Introduction to the Theory and Application of Systems Science (2nd Edition)]'', 1993.
* [[George J. Klir]], ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=9NHgBwAAQBAJ&q=%22Facets+of+Systems+Science%22 Facets of Systems Science (2nd Edition)]'', Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 2001.
* [[Ervin László]], ''Systems Science and World Order: Selected Studies'', 1983.
* G. E. Mobus & M. C. Kalton, ''Principles of Systems Science'', 2015, New York:Springer.
* [[Anatol Rapoport]] (ed.), ''General Systems: Yearbook of the Society for the Advancement of General Systems Theory'', Society for General Systems Research, Vol 1., 1956.
* Li D. Xu, "The contributions of Systems Science to Information Systems Research", ''Systems Research and Behavioral Science,'' 17, 2000, pp.&nbsp;105–116.
* Graeme Donald Snooks, "A general theory of complex living systems: Exploring the demand side of dynamics", ''Complexity'', vol. 13, no. 6, July/August 2008.
* [[John N. Warfield]],  "A proposal for Systems Science", ''Systems Research and Behavioral Science'', 20, 2003, pp.&nbsp;507–520. {{doi|10.1002/sres.528}}
* [[Mike Jackson (systems scientist)|Michael C. Jackson]], ''Critical Systems Thinking and the Management of Complexity'', 2019, Wiley.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Systems science}}
* [http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/ Principia Cybernetica Web]
* [https://ifsr.org/ International Federation for Systems Research]
* Institute of System Science Knowledge (ISSK.org)
* [http://isss.org/world/ International Society for the System Sciences]
* [[American Society for Cybernetics]]
* [http://www.ukss.org.uk UK Systems Society]
* [http://www.cybsoc.org/ Cybernetics Society]

{{Systems}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Systems science| ]]
[[Category:Formal sciences]]