Summary: Thinking In Systems: A Primer | 9781603580557

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• 1 Basics of system dynamics

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• What's the difference between elements, interconnections and function/purpose?

  Elements are the tangible and intangible assets of a system, e.g. Students, buildings, academic pride. 
  
  Interconnections is the relationship that holds the elements together. This is often information. 
  
  A function/purpose is the purpose of a system, what it produces over time. This can be divided in non-human systems (function) and human systems (purposes). However, this devision is not that hard. 

• When talking about a stock and flow diagram, what's the difference between a stock and flow?

  A stock is the foundation of the system. This is about elements you can see, feel, count/measure at any point in time. It's the present memory of history of changing flows in a system. E.g. Water in bath tub
  
  A flow is the change over time, e.g. Water flowing in and out, births & deaths.
  
  The stocks allow the inflow and outflow to be independent. 

• What is the difference between systems zoo and archetypes?

  A systems zoo is the collection of common, interesting types of systems. 
  
  Archetypes are the structures that produce characteristic behavior in a system. 

• What is a feedback loop and which two do we distinguish?

  A feedback loop is the consistent behavior pattern over a long period of time that represent the changes in a stock, affects flows into or out of the same stock.
  - Balancing feedback loops; goal seeking or stability seeking loops that are both sources of stability and sources of resistance to change.
  - Reinforcing feedback loops; enhances whatever direction of change is imposed on it. This leads to exponential growth.
  
  You can calculate the growth rate of a reinforcing feedback loop to divide 70 by the growth rate in percentage. 

• What does a grey arrow represent?

  A grey arrow represents the indication of the same measurement or information, but it shows there is no causal relationship.

• What are the three ways in which we can derive units of measurement?

  1. Intuition
  
  2. Stocks and flows. Flows need to have the same unit, but then over time. 
  
  3. Equation A = b + c * d 

• 2 A brief visit to the system's zoo

• What does the paradox of the system's zoo tells you about system dynamics?

  Systems are a representation of variety, but it's not the complete representation.

• 2.1.1 A stock with two competing balancing loops

• What is a stock with two competing balancing loops?

  This is a stock with two loops, trying to drag a single stock towards two different goals.

• Why is it important to set proper goals in a balancing feedback loop?

  In order to protect the feedback process to fall short or exceed the target for the stock.

• Every balancing feedback loop has its breakdown point. What is this?

  A breakdown point is the point where the loops pull the stock away from its goal more strongly than it can pull back.