Discrete Events and Procedures
In previous chapters, the focus was on system behavior based on continuous interactions, where feedback loops predominate. However, it is quite common for a system to follow procedures that include ordered sets of tasks. Baking a cake, a monkey eating nut
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Abstract In previous chapters, the focus was on system behavior based on continuous interactions, where feedback loops predominate. However, it is quite common for a system to follow procedures that include ordered sets of tasks. Baking a cake, a monkey eating nuts, a mother conceiving and then giving birth to a baby follow certain sets of procedures. In industry, many processes such as manufacture of pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, and beverages are largely based on sets of procedures. On the surface, procedures look quite simple, but they interact with continuous functions, thus, affecting the behavior of systems in various significant and interesting ways. The chapter introduces procedural function with some simple examples. That is followed by discussions of such functions in social and natural systems and taking care of abnormal situations. Then there are discussions on the main characteristics of procedural functions. Finally, modeling and simulation of procedural functions are outlined.
8.1
Why Study Procedures?
Any discussion on systems is not complete without taking into account discrete events and procedures and how they affect their behaviors. Continuous functions work continuously and generally do not have definite start or end, whereas, discrete steps define actions that have beginning and end. An ordered set of discrete steps that define a required task or function is called a procedure. When I start my car, for example, I follow a set of discrete steps, such
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2017 A. Ghosh, Dynamic Systems for Everyone, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-43943-3_8
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as opening the door, getting on the driver’s seat, inserting the ignition key, depressing brake pedal, and then turning the key. An important point here is that the order of these steps does matter, for example, it is not possible for me to turn on the ignition key before opening the car door. Similarly, when my daughter bakes my favorite cake, she follows a set of steps in a procedure, such as: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Set the oven at right temperature Mix right amount of ingredients in proper order Put the batter mix in the oven Set the timer for baking Wait for the timer to time out Check if the cake is baked If not done, then return to step 4 for baking for an additional period of time Switch off the oven Take the cake out Allow the cake to cool before serving.
So far, the discussions have been limited to the behavior of systems based on continuous interactions of their subsystems and other systems around them, where feedback loops predominate. Whereas, in baking a cake the baker follows a set procedure, which to a large extent, does not depend on feedback signals during its execution. As stated before, unlike a set of continuous actions, a procedure has a definite start and an end along with defined steps and other logical requirements that must be followed in right order to perform the task correctly. On the surface, a procedure looks quite simple. A main reason fo
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