| Syllabus for Systems
Science 511, Systems Theory , Winter 2004 |
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| Revision
F, 1/22/04 |
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| SySc 511 surveys fundamental systems concepts and central
aspects of systems theory. The course begins with an overview of the
systems paradigm and the systems field as a whole. Topics include
introductions to set- and information-theoretic multivariate relations, model
representation, simulation; decision analysis, optimization, game theory,
complexity, regulation and control, and complex adaptive systems.
Readings draw from mathematics, the natural and social sciences, and the
professional disciplines (e.g., engineering, business). The course
content derives both from “classical” general systems theory, cybernetics,
and operations research as well as from more contemporary systems research
which is organized around the themes of nonlinear dynamics, complexity, and
adaptation. |
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| Instructors: |
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| Dr.
George Lendaris, Dr. Andrew Fraser, Dr. Wayne Wakeland, Tad Shannon, Roberto
Santiago, William (Ike) Eisenhauer, Shari Matzner, |
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| prime contact: wakeland@pdx.edu
725-4975 |
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| Textbook: |
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| 1.
George Klir, Facets of Systems Science, 2nd Edition, Kluwer 2001. ISBN 0306466236 (in bookstore) |
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| 2.
Handouts on Decision Theory and Game Theory |
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| Evaluation: |
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| Homework
(8 assignments, 5% each = 40%) |
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| Midterm
and Final (30% each = 60%) |
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| Topic
List/Schedule: |
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| Week |
Who |
Read Text |
Topics |
Read Articles from 2nd half of
Klir book and/or Handouts |
Homework Due (5% ea) |
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| 2A |
TS & WW |
Ch1) What is SySc? (6 pp) |
Intro. (TS); Very brief overview
of class & syllabus (WW) |
Comments on Systems
and ST, Rosen 1986 (4 pp); |
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| 2A |
TS |
Ch2) More about Systems (22 pp) |
Definitions, relations (set
theoretic), constructivism vs. realism, classification of systems, structures |
Scale and Dimension in
Nature, Havel 1996 (34 pp) |
Ch2HW |
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| 2B |
RS |
Ch3) Systems Movement (24 pp) |
Role of mathematics and
computers, systems thinking, cybernetics, OR |
GST:
The Skeleton of Science, Boulding 1956 (10 pp); GST as a New Discipline,
Ashby 1958 (10 pp); Science and the Systems Paradigm, Checkland 1976 (10 pp);
Systems & Distinctions: Duality & Complementarity, Goguen &
Varela 1979 (10 pp); Science in the Systems Age: Beyond IE, OR and MS, Ackoff
1973 (12 pp) |
Ch3HW |
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| 3A |
TS |
Ch4) Conceptual Frameworks (34
pp) |
Deductive/inductive,
epistomological categories, heirarchies |
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| 3B &
4A |
TS |
finish Ch4 + Ch5) Systems
Methodology (20 pp) |
Systems problem solving, GSPS,
formal systems, systems modeling, classification of systems models, meth.
role of computer, constraints, variety |
Reconstructability analysis: an
offspring of Ashby's constraint analysis, Klir 1986 (8 pp) |
Ch4,5 HW |
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| 4B &
5A |
WE |
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Decision Th. (& Bayesian
prob., Arrow's paradox), Optimization |
HANDOUT: Prob. & the Will to
Doubt (Bayes Th.), Rubinstein 1994 (24 pp); Decision-Making Models,
Rubinstein 1994 (32 pp); Economic Rationality: Adaptive Artifice, Simon 1996
(25 pp); Social Planning: Designing the Evolving Artifact, Simon 1996 (29 pp);
The Simply Complex, Casti 1995 (3 pp) |
DecThHW |
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| 5B &
6A |
SM |
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Game Theory |
HANDOUT: Decision Making Under
Conflict: Game Th., Rubinstein 1994 (14 pp); Games as Models of Social
Phenomena, Hamburger 1979 (50 pp); Games, Rapoport 1988 (26 pp) |
GameThHW |
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| 6B |
WW |
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Homework review |
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| 7A |
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MIDTERM (30%) |
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| 7B |
WW |
Ch6) Systems
Meta-methodology (14 pp) |
Go
over Midterm; Problems vs. methods; characteristics of methods;
methodological paradigms; |
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| 8A |
WW |
Ch7) Systems Knowledge (12 pp) |
Trad. know. vs. systems know.,
simulation, laws of sysc, metameth. inquiries |
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Ch6,7HW |
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| 8B &
9A |
AF |
Ch8) Complexity (24 pp) |
What is C? C. and information,
Bremerman's computational limit, computational complexity; info. theoretic
relations; entropy |
Requisite variety and its
implications for the control of complex systems, Ashby, 1958 (14 pp); Science
and complexity, Weaver, 1948 (8 pp); Complexity and system
descriptions, Rosen, 1977 (6 pp); New perspectives on complexity, Prigogine,
1985 (10 pp) |
Ch8HW |
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| 9B |
GL |
Ch9) Simplification Strategies
(12 pp) |
complexity vs. simplicity,
general system simplification, special case strategies |
Introductory remarks at panel
discussion, Ashby, 1964 (4 pp) |
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| 10A |
GL |
Ch10) Goal-Oriented Systems (20
pp) |
Goal
and performance, feedback, regulation & control, GO paradigms, adaptive
systems, special types |
Principles of the
self-organizing system, Ashby, 1962 (16 pp); Autopoiesis: the organization of
living systems, its characterization and a model, Varela, Maturana, Uribe,
1974 (12 pp); The self-reproducing system, Ashby, 1962 (8 pp) |
Ch9,10HW |
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| 10B |
WW |
Ch11) SySc in Retrospect and
Prospect (28 pp) |
Criticism of sysc, status &
impact of sysc, the future |
Can systems theory generate
testable hypotheses? from Talcott Parsons to living systems theory, Miller,
1986 (14 pp) |
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| F 3/12 |
WW |
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Homework review |
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| finals |
WW |
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FINAL (30%) |
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| Homework
Assignments (Each worth 5 points) |
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| You
are encouraged to work together on homework, but please turn in your own
solution sheet. Also, please indicate
your |
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and show your work, as appropriate. |
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| Ch2HW2
(due 1/20) |
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Klir 2.1abcg, 2.2abdeg, 2.3, 2.4,
2.6 |
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| Ch3HW (due
1/22) |
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Klir 3.3, 3.4 |
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Provide a qualitative
and quantitative explanation of the phrase "the whole is more than the
sum of the parts" |
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| Ch4,5HW
(due 2/3) |
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Klir 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 5.1, 5.2, 5.4,
5.5 |
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| DecThHW
(due 2/10) |
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| GameThHW
(due 2/12) |
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| Ch6,7HW
(due 3/2) |
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| Ch8HW (due 3/9) |
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| Ch9,10HW
(due 3/12) |
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