opensystems

Open Systems:

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Do you agree with the following assessment?

"Systems may be characterized as either closed or open.

 A closed system is one that does not need to interact with its environment to maintain its existence.

 Examples are atoms and molecules. Mechanical systems are closed systems.

 Open systems are organic and must interact with their environment in order to maintain their existence. "

http://www.systems-thinking.org/systems/systems.htm

Open Systems and Complexity

"Each of the Russian dolls described in the first chapter is an open system of high complexity. These are important concepts that we must examine.

An open system is in permanent relation with its environment, or, in general terms, with its ecosystem. It exchanges energy, matter, and information used in the maintenance of its organization to counter the ravages of time. It dumps into the environment entropy, or "used" energy. By virtue of the flow of energy through the system-and despite the accumulation of entropy in the environment-the entropy in an open

system is maintained at a relatively low level. This is another way of saying that the organization of the system is maintained. Open systems can decrease entropy locally and can even evolve toward states of higher complexity."

http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/macroscope/chap2.html