Laws of System Evolution and Development

Abstract

This chapter will explore the main ideas of the Laws of System Evolution and Development (Altshuller 1984; Bukhman 2012). When talking about evolution and development, we do not recognize a difference between natural systems and artificially created systems. When we talk about artificially created systems, we talk about trends, evolution, and development laws. It is how we can better understand, explain, and predict (as we strive to create a perfect system) the evolution of artificially created systems. Most of the Laws of Artificial Systems Evolution were copied from the visible laws of natural systems’ evolution (more precisely, from the principles of how natural-biological systems develop). However, as the designers of artificially created systems, we can control these systems’ development and evolution through these laws’ applications. Through initial research and later work that reinforces this original research, TRIZ recognizes System Evolution's Laws as a set of rules for the existence, operation, and change of systems. The Laws of System Evolution are the primary part of TRIZ and, as such, are the basis for the development of all other TRIZ elements. The “division of labor” between the laws and the analytical tools of TRIZ (oriented for problem-solving) is straightforward and clear. Laws help create a more developed and ideal image of the next generation of a system or process. However, we cannot produce an “image.” It must be described with the real concepts of design. The analytical tools of TRIZ (ARIZ-85C, the System of Standard Solutions, Inventive and Separation Principles, the Scientific Knowledge Database) perform this job. Thus, the Laws of System Evolution create an image, and the analytical elements of TRIZ fill out that image with real design solutions.