GENERAL SYSTEMS THEORY

GENERAL SYSTEMS THEORY

Through science, people seek a tool capable of understanding the natural phenomena of the universe. For this, we collect data on the subject of interest and then begin the phase of formulating hypotheses.

With the knowledge accumulated over the past centuries, we have realized that in the dynamics of the universe, everything is interconnected. The simple relationship of cause and effect, or action and reaction, is in constant balance and rebalance across various fields of study.

For better understanding, we can imagine a pool of colored balls, where each ball represents a field of science, such as:

These balls are mixed, with no apparent correlation. If we remove one for analysis, the movement of the others due to its removal is a natural consequence. This is how we can begin to understand the principle of a system.

DEFINITION OF SYSTEM

According to the dictionary, the definition of a system is:

"A set of elements, concrete or abstract, intellectually organized."

GENERAL SYSTEMS THEORY

A Teoria Geral de Sistemas (TGS) surgiu com os trabalhos de Ludwig von Bertalanffy, publicados entre 1950 e 1968.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of General Systems Theory is to structure the study through an analytical organization of the behavior and composition of the analyzed data, guiding the analysis based on the variables as a whole. For example, analyzing a gear through its behavior in the mechanical assembly and its function in the overall mechanism.

APPLICATION

A very current application in the field of Civil Engineering is the BIM (Building Information Modeling) platform. In the design of building construction projects, the various projects are developed separately by different professionals.

Through BIM software, there is constant communication between different fields such as topography, structure, surveying, installations, architecture, among others. Thus, a change in one of these fields can be easily detected and corrected in the others.

PRINCIPLES

1 - Expansionism:

Principle that emphasizes the interdependence relationship between parts.

2 - Synthetic Thinking:

Principle that states the system works dynamically with other systems to produce real effects.

3 - Teleology:

Principle indicating the system must function to achieve goals, ends, purposes, and destinies.

GST CONCEPTS

Entropy: Degree of disorganization of the system:

Negentropy (Syntropy): The opposite of entropy, the degree of organization of a system.

Synergy: Coordination between systems.

Homeostasis: System's ability to maintain its internal balance.

Heterostasis: System's ability to return to equilibrium.

Environment: Everything around the system that can influence it.

Open Systems: Systems that can be influenced by the environment.

Closed Systems: Systems that are not influenced by the environment.

Feedback: Cyclical ability to reuse beneficial information known by the system itself and eliminate harmful ones.

---

.