BCSSS

International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics

2nd Edition, as published by Charles François 2004 Presented by the Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science Vienna for public access.

About

The International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics was first edited and published by the system scientist Charles François in 1997. The online version that is provided here was based on the 2nd edition in 2004. It was uploaded and gifted to the center by ASC president Michael Lissack in 2019; the BCSSS purchased the rights for the re-publication of this volume in 200?. In 2018, the original editor expressed his wish to pass on the stewardship over the maintenance and further development of the encyclopedia to the Bertalanffy Center. In the future, the BCSSS seeks to further develop the encyclopedia by open collaboration within the systems sciences. Until the center has found and been able to implement an adequate technical solution for this, the static website is made accessible for the benefit of public scholarship and education.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

ADJUSTOR 2)

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Device for potential regulation in a system built in such a way as to be able to take account of certain possible variations of the environment and to produce appropriate compensatory behavior of the system.

A. LOTKA introduced the idea in 1924 and constructed an experimental model in the guise of an artificial mechanical insect fitted with a par of antennae which act as a spatial sensor at some distance (1956, p.341,382).

Such an artificial device throws light on the nature of adjustors in natural systems:

- The adjustor is specific. It is able to interpret some data of a certain class, as for example evaluate the critical distance away from some obstacle.

- It must be able, at least potentially, to use the data transmitted by effectors and elaborators.

- It must be able to carry out the needed comparisons between the captured data and the registered norms …(for example maxima length, or maximum tolerable potential or weight)

- In view that its action aims at avoiding potential inadmissible situations, it evokes in our minds the illusion of intentionality.

- Its registered norms imply a range of possible futures, which gives us the illusion of (perfect) predictability.

One may conceive the need for adjustors of adjustors, for coordination of complex behaviors. Such a notion is very stimulating for the study of neuro-physiological behavior, as well as social regulations or artificial organisms "physiology" or "ethology".

The "timer" concept, introduced by Jessie MILLER is an important development of the adjustor's concept. (1990)

Categories

  • 1) General information
  • 2) Methodology or model
  • 3) Epistemology, ontology and semantics
  • 4) Human sciences
  • 5) Discipline oriented

Publisher

Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science(2020).

To cite this page, please use the following information:

Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science (2020). Title of the entry. In Charles François (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics (2). Retrieved from www.systemspedia.org/[full/url]

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