Thinking in Systems
Ch 1 The Basics
System Complexity
System
innerconnectons
Has a function or purpose
elements
A system is more dynamic than the sum of its parts.
Adaptive
Dynamic
Goal - seeking
Self preserving
Evolutionary behavior
System behavior overtime
Stock
elements of system that you can see, feel, count or measure at any given time
Flows
Change of stocks overtime. ie. Filling, Draining, Birth, Death,
Dynamics of stock and flows
Is the understanding of the behavior of complex system
Dynamic equilibrium
when the inflow and the outflow are at equilibrium
Loops
Feedback loop
mechanism that changes the flow rate of a stock to compensate for either an inflow or an outflow rate
Stock levels he's back through a chain of signals and actions to control itself
Stabilizing loops- Balancing feedback
The Feedback loop that maintains a range
Stabilizing, goal seeking, regulating loop
Runaway loops - Reinforcing the feedback
Amplifying, Reinforcing, Self multiplying, Snowballing
A vicious or virtuous cycle that can cause healthy growth or runaway destruction like
Not static world
Single stocks are likely to have multiple feedback loops to create a complex pattern
Single flow may be adjusted by the contents of multiple stocks
Multiple feedback loops can create a Balance or an imbalance
Rules of the Game
The system's function or purpose is the most crucial determinant of the system's behavior
Interconnections in Systems
Flow of information holds systems together and plays a great role in determining how they operate
Seek Interconnections
The relationship that holds the elements together