Interacting or interdependent components, integrated whole

[mech-eng]

"A system is a set of interacting or interdependent components forming an integrated whole."

Hi, above definition is from Wikipedia, for system and prepared by referring to Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

I would like to discuss some concept in that definition because they are very foreign to me.

What are interacting components or interdependent components and how they form an integrated whole and what is an integrated whole.

Would you like to explain and give examples.

Reference:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System

Thank you.

 

[SteamKing]

"A system is a set of interacting or interdependent components forming an integrated whole."

Hi, above definition is from Wikipedia, for system and prepared by referring to Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

I would like to discuss some concept in that definition because they are very foreign to me.

What are interacting components or interdependent components and how they form an integrated whole and what is an integrated whole.

Would you like to explain and give examples.

Reference:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System

Thank you.

Keep working the dictionary. What's the definition of "interdependent" or "interacting" or "integrated"?

The wiki article gives a whole host of things which can be classified as "systems".

Let's keep things simple to start. Can you think of any mechanical or electronic thing you encounter or use on a daily basis which could be called a "system"? It may already have the word "system" in its name. You might be using it to post to this thread on PF.

 

[jack476]

Exactly what it sounds like. A "system" is a set of objects wherein the state of each object is dependent in some clearly describable way on the state of the other objects in the set.

"Integrated whole" means the system behaves like a single object with the behavior defined by the action of its components with each other.

But this is mostly dictionary stuff, formal definitions of "system" exist for different applications, ie, a "linear system of equations", "your immune system", "system of electrical components", etc.