Facets of systems science

Bibliographic Information

Facets of systems science

George J. Klir

(IFSR international series on systems science and engineering, v. 15)

Kluwer Academic/Plenum, c2001

2nd ed

Available at  / 2 libraries

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Note

Includes bibliographies and indexes

Description and Table of Contents

Description

This book has a rather strange history. It began in spring 1989, thirteen years after our Systems Science Department at SUNY-Binghamton was established, when I was asked by a group of students in our doctoral program to have a meeting with them. The spokesman of the group, Cliff Joslyn, opened our meeting by stating its purpose. I can closely paraphrase what he said: "We called this meeting to discuss with you, as Chairman of the Department, a fundamental problem with our systems science curriculum. In general, we consider it a good curriculum: we learn a lot of concepts, principles, and methodological tools, mathematical, computational, heu ristic, which are fundamental to understanding and dealing with systems. And, yet, we learn virtually nothing about systems science itself. What is systems science? What are its historical roots? What are its aims? Where does it stand and where is it likely to go? These are pressing questions to us. After all, aren't we supposed to carry the systems science flag after we graduate from this program? We feel that a broad introductory course to systems science is urgently needed in the curriculum. Do you agree with this assessment?" The answer was obvious and, yet, not easy to give: "I agree, of course, but I do not see how the situation could be alleviated in the foreseeable future.

Table of Contents

Part I: Systems Science: A Guided Tour. 1. What Is Systems Science? 2. More about Systems. 3. Systems Movement. 4. Conceptual Framework. 5. Systems Methodology. 6. System Metamethodology. 7. Systems Knowledge. 8. Complexity. 9. Simplification Strategies. 10. Goal-Oriented Systems. 11. Systems Science in Retrospect and Prospect. Appendix. References. Part II: Classical Systems Literature. Introduction and Comments. Detailed Contents. Author Index. Subject Index.

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Details

  • NCID
    BA55642667
  • ISBN
    • 0306466236
  • Country Code
    us
  • Title Language Code
    eng
  • Text Language Code
    eng
  • Place of Publication
    New York, N.Y.
  • Pages/Volumes
    xvii, 740 p.
  • Size
    24 cm
  • Classification
  • Subject Headings
  • Parent Bibliography ID
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