#ISSS2018 Corvallis

3349 A THEORY OF SYSTEMS 
Gary O. Langford and Herman Migliore
Department of Engineering & Technology Management, Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science, Portland State University, P.O. Box 751, Portland, OR 97207.
lgary@pdx.edu; miglioh@pdx.edu

This paper fills a gap in our understanding of the interaction between physical objects and formation of systems. In a general sense, systems theory can be described as the study of corporeal objects as they interact within an ontological framework of objects and processes. A theory of systems unifies myriad definitions into a single definition of a system under the premise that a system must satisfy four conditions—demonstrate process metastability, show external adaptability, reveal internal agility, and manifest non-reciprocal / irreversible emergence. We define a theory of systems based on three fundamental observations: 1) All systems consume, conserve, and lose energy, 2) All systems are dynamically stable, and 3) All systems have a fundamental lifecycle determined by their metastability mechanism. We analyze the flow of energy, matter, material wealth, and information between physical objects to determine their integrative actions. Thus, a theory of systems reveals the origin and sustainment of functions; shows that interactions between all objects result in emergence; and infers an ontological framework which structures systems knowledge into recognizable patterns. Applying a model-based systemic approach, we show the relations between systems and their ontological framework as constituent systems within systems of systems.