System Dynamics

System dynamics refers to a technology to model complex systems created by Jay Forrester. It also represents a way to think about complex systems, as argued by Peter Senge. A complex dynamic system is one with many components that interact in ways that change the observed behavior of the system over time. An example is our solar system. One can think of the sun, the planets, and their orbiting satellites as the components. All of these components are moving with their movements determined by the physical laws of nature (e.g., gravity). If one wishes to place an object in orbit around one of these components (a system intervention), one must understand the dynamics of the entire system. Many complex and dynamic systems allow for the ...