A system composed of many distributed elements whose aggregate properties cannot be predicted by observing the behavior of an element. Furthermore, the observable manifestations or 'forms' of a complex system may only represent superficial aspects, with its true 'essence' or fundamental nature remaining hidden or less apparent beneath the surface.

Complex Systems

- Thinking in Systems by Donella H. Meadows

References on Systems

Relationships that link elements together. They are often associated with flows, reactions, processes, and communication of information within a system.  

Interconnections ( systems )

In systems thinking, a stock is any accumulation of a resource or quantity that is measured at a single point in time. It serves as the system's memory, representing the net effect of all past inflows and outflows. Because it is a snapshot, its units do not have a time dimension (e.g., the number of cars in a city, the amount of water in a reservoir, or the total CO2 in the atmosphere). Stocks change over time only through the actions of flows.

Definition of a Stock in Systems Thinking

More than the sum of its parts, it is interconnected elements that are organized to achieve some purpose or function. They can be dynamic, goal-seeking, adaptive, self-preserving and evolutionary.

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Meadows, D. H. (2008). Thinking in systems: A primer. chelsea green publishing.

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