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System dynamics and the analysis of change
0005-1098/83/030347-01503,00/0 PergamonPressLtd. 1983InternationalFederationof AutomaticControl
Automatica.Vol. 19, No. 3, p. 347, 1983 Printed in Great Britain.
Book Review System Dynamics and the Analysis of Change* Edited by B. E. Paulr6 Reviewer: ANDREW P. SAGE Systems Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22901, U.S.A.
holism, and corporate planning (three papers). Sadly each of these papers are such abbreviated manuscripts that they answer few of the many questions that arise concerning the various subjects with which they deal. Few, for example, comment upon verification and validity concerns that need to be resolved to insure usefulness of a system dynamics model. The preface of this work indicates the rather bold achievements Professor Jay Forrester, and others, expect will result from use of the system dynamics approach. These include: unification of professional fields, provision of frameworks within which to evaluate subsystems, as vehicles for clarifying descriptive theories, and as a framework for education. The papers presented at the conference span over a similarly broad area. While they do not deliver all that Professor Forrester ultimately hopes will be achieved, they do indicate the potential of the system dynamics approach for reducing verbal and mental images to structural models of available knowledge of issues in a differential equation format that can be subject to repeated analysis and tests. As such, this volume is a valuable record of the conference and useful for those who desire to read of the diverse subject areas that have been subject to system dynamics modeling.
THIS382 page edited work represents the proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on System Dynamics held in November 1980 at the University of Paris---Dauphine. It is organized into two parts; one dealing with methodology and techniques, and another dealing with applications. The papers dealing with methodology concern either catastrophe theory and system dynamics (three papers), or structural stability and sensitivity analysis (four papers). Of these the paper by Starr and Pouplard appears of particular interest. It suggests identification of the critical parameters in a system dynamics model through an inspection procedure consisting of applying cuts to the digraph of the coefficient matrix corresponding to a linearized version of the model, and then grouping parameters into those which 'significantly' affect behavior modes and those which do not. The current applications sections concern spatial economics (two papers), economics (four papers), medicine and biology (three papers), and applications to technology transfer, alto-
About the reviewer Andrew P. Sage received the masters degree from M.I.T., the Ph.D. from Purdue University and has taught at Purdue, University of Arizona, University of Florida, and Southern Methodist University. He has also held industrial and consulting positions with several firms. In 1974 he accepted the Lawrence R. Quarles Chair in Engineering Science and Systems at the University of Virginia, where he is at present. His research and publications are concerned with development, design, and application of knowledge based systems for planning and decision support, economic modeling, optimization, estimation, identification and computational techniques in large scale systems. He is editor of the IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetics; Automatica; and Large Scale Systems: Theory and Application. He received the Terman award from the ASEE in 1970 and the Wiener award from the IEEE in 1980. He is a Fellow of the IEEE.
* System Dynamics and the Analysis of Change edited by B. E. Paulr& Published by North-HoUand (1981). 382 pp., U.S. $57.5O. The books which are reviewed in the IFAC JournalAutomatica are not necessarily endorsed by IFAC, the editors, or the publishers nor are the reviewers' opinions or comments about the books.
347
Automatica.Vol. 19, No. 3, p. 347, 1983 Printed in Great Britain.
Book Review System Dynamics and the Analysis of Change* Edited by B. E. Paulr6 Reviewer: ANDREW P. SAGE Systems Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22901, U.S.A.
holism, and corporate planning (three papers). Sadly each of these papers are such abbreviated manuscripts that they answer few of the many questions that arise concerning the various subjects with which they deal. Few, for example, comment upon verification and validity concerns that need to be resolved to insure usefulness of a system dynamics model. The preface of this work indicates the rather bold achievements Professor Jay Forrester, and others, expect will result from use of the system dynamics approach. These include: unification of professional fields, provision of frameworks within which to evaluate subsystems, as vehicles for clarifying descriptive theories, and as a framework for education. The papers presented at the conference span over a similarly broad area. While they do not deliver all that Professor Forrester ultimately hopes will be achieved, they do indicate the potential of the system dynamics approach for reducing verbal and mental images to structural models of available knowledge of issues in a differential equation format that can be subject to repeated analysis and tests. As such, this volume is a valuable record of the conference and useful for those who desire to read of the diverse subject areas that have been subject to system dynamics modeling.
THIS382 page edited work represents the proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on System Dynamics held in November 1980 at the University of Paris---Dauphine. It is organized into two parts; one dealing with methodology and techniques, and another dealing with applications. The papers dealing with methodology concern either catastrophe theory and system dynamics (three papers), or structural stability and sensitivity analysis (four papers). Of these the paper by Starr and Pouplard appears of particular interest. It suggests identification of the critical parameters in a system dynamics model through an inspection procedure consisting of applying cuts to the digraph of the coefficient matrix corresponding to a linearized version of the model, and then grouping parameters into those which 'significantly' affect behavior modes and those which do not. The current applications sections concern spatial economics (two papers), economics (four papers), medicine and biology (three papers), and applications to technology transfer, alto-
About the reviewer Andrew P. Sage received the masters degree from M.I.T., the Ph.D. from Purdue University and has taught at Purdue, University of Arizona, University of Florida, and Southern Methodist University. He has also held industrial and consulting positions with several firms. In 1974 he accepted the Lawrence R. Quarles Chair in Engineering Science and Systems at the University of Virginia, where he is at present. His research and publications are concerned with development, design, and application of knowledge based systems for planning and decision support, economic modeling, optimization, estimation, identification and computational techniques in large scale systems. He is editor of the IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetics; Automatica; and Large Scale Systems: Theory and Application. He received the Terman award from the ASEE in 1970 and the Wiener award from the IEEE in 1980. He is a Fellow of the IEEE.
* System Dynamics and the Analysis of Change edited by B. E. Paulr& Published by North-HoUand (1981). 382 pp., U.S. $57.5O. The books which are reviewed in the IFAC JournalAutomatica are not necessarily endorsed by IFAC, the editors, or the publishers nor are the reviewers' opinions or comments about the books.
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