Introduction into Systems Analysis

Abstract

Process analysis and systems analysis are two approaches to energy-ecological analysis. Process analysis is a mechanistic approach that dominated the last centuries, although the notion of system has been known since the time of Aristotle. Systems analysis was formally discovered again just before the Second World War by the biologist Ludwig von Bertalanffy, although the methods of systems analysis were already known (e.g., Leontief’s “input–output analysis”). System is defined as a set of elements mutually connected and also with the environment, in which the system is situated. A characteristic feature of organized systems is their hierarchical structure. Every system is also characterized by a given degree of coherence and independence. Generally, systems are divided into natural and artificial ones. The features differentiating both these systems are conformability and optimization. The general theory of systems comprises, first of all, the mathematical theory of the system, and secondly system engineering. This book deals with the latter. There are two fundamental methods of describing systems, viz., causal description (input–output analysis) and intentional description (optimization models). The system structure is usually presented either by technological diagrams or structural matrices.KeywordsBoundary ElementArtificial SystemOutput AnalysisCoupling MatrixInternal ConnectionThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.