“The structure of a system is the arrangement of its subsystems and components in three-dimensional space at a given moment of time. This always changes over time. It may remain relatively fixed for a long period or it may change from moment to moment, depending upon the characteristics of the process in the system. This process halted at any given moment, as when motion is frozen by a high-speed photograph, reveals the three-dimensional spatial arrangement of the system's components as of that instant.”

Source: Living systems, 1978, p. 22; As cited in: Egolfs Voldemars Bakuzis (1974) Foundations of Forest Ecosystems: Concepts of systems in general. p. 490

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "The structure of a system is the arrangement of its subsystems and components in three-dimensional space at a given mom…" by James Grier Miller?
James Grier Miller photo
James Grier Miller 24
biologist 1916–2002

Related quotes

Samuel Bowles photo
Willem de Sitter photo

“Morphogenesis will refer to those processes which tend to elaborate or change a system's given form, structure, or state.”

Walter F. Buckley (1922–2006) American sociologist

Source: Sociology and modern systems theory (1967), p. 58.

“From the physical point of view the characteristic state of the living organism is that of an open system. A system is closed if no material enters or leaves it; it is open if there is import and export and, therefore, change of the components. Living systems are open systems, maintaining themselves in exchange of materials with environment, and in continuous building up and breaking down of their components.”

Ludwig von Bertalanffy (1901–1972) austrian biologist and philosopher

Von Bertalanffy (1950) " The Theory of Open Systems in Physics and Biology http://vhpark.hyperbody.nl/images/a/aa/Bertalanffy-The_Theory_of_Open_Systems_in_Physics_and_Biology.pdf" In: Science, January 13, 1950, Vol. 111. p. 23
1950s

Roger Shepard photo
Ervin László photo
Marvin Bower photo

“Fourteen basic and well-known managing processes make up the components from which a management system for any business can be fashioned.”

Marvin Bower (1903–2003) American business theorist

Source: The Will to Manage (1966), p. 26

Related topics