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An Assessment of the Adequacy of Common Definitions of the Concept of System
Author(s) -
Salado Alejandro,
Kulkarni Aditya U.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
incose international symposium
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2334-5837
DOI - 10.1002/j.2334-5837.2021.00851.x
Subject(s) - scope (computer science) , computer science , context (archaeology) , meaning (existential) , set (abstract data type) , process (computing) , boundary (topology) , epistemology , management science , mathematics , programming language , engineering , paleontology , mathematical analysis , philosophy , biology
In all areas of scientific study, definitions are used to describe the meaning of terms. Thus, a good set of definitions aids the scientific process by enabling researchers to communicate in a common language. In this regard, the Systems Engineering community has allocated significant effort to understanding the nature and scope of common definitions of a system. However, less attention has been given to formally examining whether these common definitions of a system are adequate. In this paper, we argue that the common definitions of a system are limited in their ability to adequately define a system's boundary. Furthermore, we argue that the common definitions of a system rely on context and prior understanding to communicate the boundary of a system. Finally, by using concepts from philosophy and mathematical logic, we show that the common definitions of a system are nominal in their ability to define a system's boundary.