Systems science. Systems science, also referred to as systems research or simply systems, is a transdisciplinary field that is concerned with understanding simple and complex systems in nature and society, which leads to the advancements of formal, natural, social, and applied attributions throughout engineering, technology and science, itself.

To systems scientists, the world can be understood as a system of systems. The field aims to develop transdisciplinary foundations that are applicable in a variety of areas, such as psychology, biology, medicine, communication, business, technology, computer science, engineering, and social sciences.

Themes commonly stressed in system science are (a) holistic view, (b) interaction between a system and its embedding environment, and (c) complex (often subtle) trajectories of dynamic behavior that sometimes are stable (and thus reinforcing), while at various 'boundary conditions' can become wildly unstable (and thus destructive). Concerns about Earth-scale biosphere/geosphere dynamics is an example of the nature of problems to which systems science seeks to contribute meaningful insights.

Associated fields 
The systems sciences are a broad array of fields. One way of conceiving of these is in three groups: fields that have developed systems ideas primarily through theory; those that have done so primarily through practical engagements with problem situations; and those that have applied ideas for other disciplines.

Theoretical fields

Chaos and dynamical systems

Complexity

Control theory

 Affect control theory
 Control engineering
 Control systems

Cybernetics

 Autopoiesis
 Conversation Theory
 Engineering Cybernetics
 Perceptual Control Theory
 Management Cybernetics
 Second-Order Cybernetics
 Cyber-Physical Systems
 Artificial Intelligence
 Synthetic Intelligence

Information theory

General systems theory

 Systems theory in anthropology
 Biochemical systems theory
 Ecological systems theory
 Developmental systems theory
 General systems theory
 Living systems theory
 LTI system theory
 Social systems
 Sociotechnical systems theory
 Mathematical system theory
 World-systems theory

Hierarchy Theory

Practical fields

Critical systems thinking

Operations research and management science

Soft systems methodology 

The soft systems methodology was developed in England by academics at the University of Lancaster Systems Department through a ten-year action research programme. The main contributor is Peter Checkland (born 18 December 1930, in Birmingham, UK), a British management scientist and emeritus professor of systems at Lancaster University.

Systems analysis

Systems analysis branch of systems science that analyzes systems, the interactions within those systems, or interaction with its environment, often prior to their automation as computer models. Systems analysis is closely associated with the RAND corporation.

Systemic design

Systemic design integrates methodologies from systems thinking with advanced design practices to address complex, multi-stakeholder situations.

Systems dynamics

System dynamics is an approach to understanding the behavior of complex systems over time. It offers "simulation technique for modeling business and social systems", which deals with internal feedback loops and time delays that affect the behavior of the entire system.  What makes using system dynamics different from other approaches to studying complex systems is the use of feedback loops and stocks and flows.

Systems engineering 

Systems engineering (SE) is an interdisciplinary field of engineering, that focuses on the development and organization of complex systems. It is the "art and science of creating whole solutions to complex problems",  for example: signal processing systems, control systems and communication system, or other forms of high-level modelling and design in specific fields of engineering. Systems Science is foundational to the Embedded Software Development that is founded in the embedded requirements of Systems Engineering.
  Aerospace systems
 Biological systems engineering
 Earth systems engineering and management
  Electronic systems
 Enterprise systems engineering
 Software systems
 Systems analysis

Applications in other disciplines

Earth system science 

  Climate systems
 Systems geology

Systems biology 

 Computational systems biology
 Synthetic biology
 Systems immunology
 Systems neuroscience

Systems chemistry

Systems ecology 

 Ecosystem ecology
 Agroecology

Systems psychology 

 Ergonomics
 Family systems theory
 Systemic therapy

See also 

 
 Antireductionism
 Evolutionary prototyping
 Holism
 Cybernetics
 System engineering
 System Dynamics
 Systemics
 System equivalence
 Systems theory
 Tektology
 World-systems theory
 Complex Systems

References

Further reading 
 
 Kenneth D. Bailey, "Fifty Years of Systems Science:Further Reflections", Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 22, 2005, pp. 355–361. 
 Robert L. Flood, Ewart R Carson, Dealing with Complexity: An Introduction to the Theory and Application of Systems Science (2nd Edition), 1993.
 George J. Klir, Facets of Systems Science (2nd Edition), Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 2001.
 Ervin László, Systems Science and World Order: Selected Studies, 1983.
 G. E. Mobus & M. C. Kalton, Principles of Systems Science, 2015, New York:Springer.
 Anatol Rapoport (ed.), General Systems: Yearbook of the Society for the Advancement of General Systems Theory, Society for General Systems Research, Vol 1., 1956.
 Li D. Xu, "The contributions of Systems Science to Information Systems Research", Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 17, 2000, pp. 105–116.
 Graeme Donald Snooks, "A general theory of complex living systems: Exploring the demand side of dynamics", Complexity, vol. 13, no. 6, July/August 2008.
 John N. Warfield,  "A proposal for Systems Science", Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 20, 2003, pp. 507–520. 
 Michael C. Jackson, Critical Systems Thinking and the Management of Complexity, 2019 , Wiley.

External links

 Principia Cybernetica Web
 International Federation for Systems Research
 Institute of System Science Knowledge (ISSK.org)
 International Society for the System Sciences
 American Society for Cybernetics
 UK Systems Society
 Cybernetics Society

 
Formal sciences