Nonlinear Systems- 1 Systems Overview

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In this module we give an overview to the model of a system that will form the foundations for our discussion on nonlinear systems, we will quickly present the basic concepts from systems theory such as elements, system's boundary, environment etc.

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Transcription: A nonlinear system is a type of system, so before we can talk about them we need to first have some understanding of the more general concept of a system. There are many definitions for systems, we will just quickly present a few of them for you to get an idea of where they overlap. Your Dictionary defines a system as: An arrangement of things, or a group of related things that work toward a common goal. Webopedia tells us a system is: A group of interdependent items that interact regularly to perform a task. We will then loosely define a system as a set of parts that are interconnected in effecting some joint come. A system then consists of parts, what we call elements and a set of connections between them, what we call relations. An example of a system might be a farm, a farm consist of a set of components such as, fields, seeds, machinery, workers etc. and the set of relations between these things that is how they are interconnect in order to perform some overall function. A bicycle is also an example of a mechanical system with a number of elements that have been designed to interrelate in a specific fashion in order to collectively function as a unit of transportation. A plant cell is another example of a system, this time it is what we would call a biological system, consisting of a set of organelles that are interconnected and interdepend in performing the metabolic processes that enable the cell as an entire system to function.

There are of cause many more examples of systems from ecosystems to transportations systems to social systems. In the world of science and mathematics there are fundamentally two different types of systems, what are called linear and nonlinear systems and in the next two lectures we will be discussing each and the distinctions between them.

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