The Fundamental Behavior Patterns

Abstract

A critical step in understanding the behavior of a system is to be able to identify its key patterns. A system may be in a steady or a dynamic state. Steady state behavior is more pervasive and common, where the various forces acting on a system are in balance thus producing little change. Dynamic behavior, on the other hand, is caused by changes in these forces that lead to imbalance, which eventually leads to an altered balanced state. The fundamental patterns of dynamic behavior are growth, decay, oscillation, and goal seeking. Oscillation is often caused by high gain and delays in a system. The interactions between a courting couple, for example, is a high gain system, where minor disagreements often lead to volatile situations.

This chapter starts with steady state and dynamic behavior patterns, along with nonlinearity and time variance. Various examples of growth and decay are presented, which include the compounding growth of a bank deposit, the Chernobyl disaster, and China’s rapid economic growth. Those are followed by discussions on oscillation, instability, and goal seeking. Finally, the difference between detail and dynamic complexities are examined along with the behavioral unpredictability of some systems.