This pioneering text provides a comprehensive introduction to systems structure, function, and modeling as applied in all fields of science and engineering. Systems understanding is increasingly recognized as a key to a more holistic education and greater problem solving skills, and is also reflected in the trend toward interdisciplinary approaches to research on complex phenomena. While the concepts and components of systems science will continue to be distributed throughout the various disciplines, undergraduate degree programs in systems science are also being developed, including at the authors’ own institutions. However, the subject is approached, systems science as a basis for understanding the components and drivers of phenomena at all scales should be viewed with the same importance as a traditional liberal arts education.

Principles of Systems Science contains many graphs, illustrations, side bars, examples, and problems to enhance understanding. From basic principles of organization, complexity, abstract representations, and behavior (dynamics) to deeper aspects such as the relations between information, knowledge, computation, and system control, to higher order aspects such as auto-organization, emergence and evolution, the book provides an integrated perspective on the comprehensive nature of systems. It ends with practical aspects such as systems analysis, computer modeling, and systems engineering that demonstrate how the knowledge of systems can be used to solve problems in the real world. Each chapter is broken into parts beginning with qualitative descriptions that stand alone for students who have taken intermediate algebra. The second part presents quantitative descriptions that are based on pre-calculus and advanced algebra, providing a more formal treatment for students who have the necessary mathematical background. Numerous examples of systems from every realm of life, including the physical and biological sciences, humanities, social sciences, engineering, pre-med and pre-law, are based on the fundamental systems concepts of boundaries, components as subsystems, processes as flows of materials, energy, and messages, work accomplished, functions performed, hierarchical structures, and more. Understanding these basics enables further understanding both of how systems endure and how they may become increasingly complex and exhibit new properties or characteristics.

Serves as a textbook for teaching systems fundamentals in any discipline or for use in an introductory course in systems science degree programs
Addresses a wide range of audiences with different levels of mathematical sophistication
Includes open-ended questions in special boxes intended to stimulate integrated thinking and class discussion
Describes numerous examples of systems in science and society
Captures the trend towards interdisciplinary research and problem solving

Publisher: Springer; 2015 edition (November 11, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1493919199
ISBN-13: 978-1493919192

Editorial Reviews
Review

"This textbook represents an amazing achievement in my view, both in terms of the breadth of the subject matter, which is vast, and the depth provided where necessary. Having reviewed the manuscript, I have already decided to offer a year-long graduate seminar at my university based on the text. I will also be adopting the text for other courses to augment or replace other sources. Some of the things I especially like about the text include its organization, its many illustrations, and its liberal use of "Question Boxes" that ask provocative questions of the reader. Although I've been a systems scientist for my entire career from the early 70's to now, every time I pick up the manuscript and start reading, I learn new things."
-Wayne Wakeland, Ph.D., Professor and Systems Science Program Chair, School of the Environment, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA

"This book is interdisciplinary science at its best. While Systems Science is interdisciplinary at its core, it can be self-referencing in terms of methods and approach. Instead, Mobus and Kalton take a broad approach, exploring many of the most exciting scientific areas that must deal with complexity and causal interconnections, from system dynamics to network science. It is a walk through a series of fascinating discoveries in which the authors manage to be both exhaustive and clear. I found this book to be truly an experience!"
-Ugo Bardi, Professor, University of Florence, Italy; Author, Extracted, 2014
From the Back Cover

This pioneering text provides a comprehensive introduction to systems structure, function, and modeling as applied in all fields of science and engineering. Systems understanding is increasingly recognized as a key to a more holistic education and greater problem solving skills, and is also reflected in the trend toward interdisciplinary approaches to research on complex phenomena. The subject of systems science, as a basis for understanding the components and drivers of phenomena at all scales, should be viewed with the same importance as a traditional liberal arts education.

Principles of Systems Science contains many graphs, illustrations, side bars, examples, and problems to enhance understanding. From basic principles of organization, complexity, abstract representations, and behavior (dynamics) to deeper aspects such as the relations between information, knowledge, computation, and system control, to higher order aspects such as auto-organization, emergence and evolution, the book provides an integrated perspective on the comprehensive nature of systems. It ends with practical aspects such as systems analysis, computer modeling, and systems engineering that demonstrate how the knowledge of systems can be used to solve problems in the real world. Each chapter is broken into parts beginning with qualitative descriptions that stand alone for students who have taken intermediate algebra. The second part presents quantitative descriptions that are based on pre-calculus and advanced algebra, providing a more formal treatment for students who have the necessary mathematical background. Understanding these basics enables further understanding both of how systems endure and how they may become increasingly complex and exhibit new properties or characteristics.

· Serves as a textbook for teaching systems fundamentals in any discipline or for use in an introductory course in systems science degree programs

· Addresses a wide range of audiences with different levels of mathematical sophistication

· Includes open-ended questions in special boxes intended to stimulate integrated thinking and class discussion

· Describes numerous examples of systems in science and society

· Captures the trend towards interdisciplinary research and problem solving