Up until now we've been using the term system quite loosely and people often use it as a kind of Catch-all phrase
But in this section, we're going to get a bit more rigorous to clearly define what exactly a system is and what it is not
There are many definitions for a system out [there], so let's take a few quick examples
Wikipedia tells us that a system is a set of interacting or interdependent
components forming an integrated whole or according to the Oxford dictionary a
System is a set of things working together as parts of a mechanism or an interconnecting network
So firstly a system is a group of parts that is to say it is [a] composite entity
Being composed of a number of things in the [language] of system, theory we call these parts elements
Next these parts are interconnected and interdependent in some way that is to say there is a set of relationships between the elements
Lastly that through these relations the elements are arranged in a particular
Way in order to perform some collective function that defines the system as a whole
So let's take an example of this a business [organization] is a type of system
It has a number of parts or elements that are the business departments such as production
R&D sales accounting and so on all [of] these departments are interconnected they exchange information
resources, Personnel ETC and through this exchange
They are organized to perform some collective function that is producing some good or services
There are of course many examples of systems from transportation systems to agricultural systems and healthcare systems
Not everything is a system though
If we have a group of things that are not interconnected and do not work together then this is not a system
It is what we call a set a simple set [of] elements
an
Example of a set might be a pile of bricks or [a] group of people waiting at a [bus] stop
These compositions have not been designed to work together
Thus we describe them by simply describing the properties of each element in the set and that tells us everything we need to know
There is nothing more to a set than the simple sum of their elements
This very important feature two sets helps to make dealing with them relatively simple
Now say we took this pile of bricks and we build a house out of them
We would no longer describe them as simply a set of bricks because by building our house
we have now added a set of relations a
Particular arrangement to them that allows them to function as an interdependent entirety and this entirety of the house is
the system
This helps to illustrate one of the key features to systems and systems thinking that is what we call
Emergence which we will be discussing in greater. Depth later on in the course but for the moment
We will note that a system is not a thing in
Contrary to the elements within a system that are things like bricks cars people
Planets Etc a system is what Emerges out of the interaction of these things when they work together as an entirety?
This makes systems and systems thinking a little bit more abstract
Because we can't really touch grasp or hold the system
Think of an urban transportation system. We might be able to see a bus or walk on a road
But it is difficult for us [to] grasp the whole that is the system
Whereas the Elements within a system have well-defined boundaries the system as a whole is [a] much more open and nebulous thing
Thus it is not surprising that we often resort to using
Analytical methods whereby we simply describe the system by describing all [of] its parts thus reducing it to a simple set
When we are dealing [with] sets we use. What is called set theory?
Set theory is essentially the foundations of contemporary Mathematics and Thus by extension
contemporary science which both represent the analytical method of reasoning
And not surprisingly when we're dealing with systems. We need to use systems thinking that is based upon, synthesis