o-System Top Level Categories

Project Lead: ISTCS.org

Project Timeline; Begins September 2011, Ends TBD

Contributors: H Sillitto

Abstract:

-This effort attempts to identify and make explicit 'top level categories' to support

the development of a system ontology.

Deliverables:

A set of ontological top level categories/existential qualifiers (diagram) and descriptors

a vocabulary for the top level categories (a dozen terms or so)

possibly some encoding/formalisation in standard language of the same (rdf?)

Working Documentation:

A link is provided to edit/amend the diagram which is intended purely

to support developement, discussions and exchanges, feel free to create and share other resources and enter

additional references below

The diagram below shows the top level categories that define 'System'

If this diagram is correct, it should be possible to map any system to these categories,

if this diagram is incorrect, that is, if there are elements within a system that cannot be mapped to these categories,

then it should be necessary to additional categories:

The (candidate) categories are:

COMPONENT(s)

FUNCTION(s)

BEHAVIOR(s)

STATE(s)

INPUT(s)

OUTPUT(s)

Boundary is not a class per se, but as an emergent class that results from the dyamic combination of all

the other categories

Goal(s) is not within the boundary

Sillitto 2011

H Sillitto Integrating Systems Science Systems Thinking and SE rev 1.doc

ASEC 2011

...The following constructs provide a vehicle for the ubiquity of the term system and

provide a basis for unification:

(1) system-environment boundary, (2) input, (3) output, (4) process,

(5) state, (6) hierarchy, (7) goal-directedness, and (8) information

(Bertalanffy, 1968).

FROM PRESCIENCE TO EMERGENCE: TAKING HOLD OF SYSTEM OF SYSTEMS

MANAGEMENT

Brian Sauser, Stevens Institute of Technology

John Boardman, Stevens Institute of Technology