Unit 1: Introduction to Systems — Short Questions

Natural systems are those that exist in nature and operate independently of human involvement. They are governed by natural laws and process.

Following are the examples of some natural systems that exists in nature.

• Physical systems
• Chemical systems
• Biological systems
• Psychological systems

Physical systems are composed of physical components and governed by the laws of physics. They include things ranging from sub atomic particles, atoms, planets, stars, galaxies and customs. Chemical systems involve substances and their interactions, transformations, and reactions. They are governed by the laws of chemistry.

Biological systems consist of living organisms and their interactions. They are governed by biological processes such as growth, reproduction, and metabolism.

Psychological systems involve the mind and behavior. They include thoughts, emotions, and mental processes, governed by the principles of Psychology.

Artificial systems are created and developed by people so that they may fulfill certain functions or address certain issues. These systems can be as small as a wheel or as large as the United Nations.

There are different types artificial systems, some of which are described below:

• Knowledge Systems
• Engineering Systems
• Social Systems

Artificial systems are a vital part of the contemporary society because they reinforce productivity, solve complex problems, and improve people's well-being.

A knowledge system is unique because it is developed to capture, process, facilitate, store, retrieve and manage information.

Mathematics is a field of knowledge which is studied to focus problems connected to numbers, their amounts, forms, structures and patterns.

These are specific applications developed with the purpose of capturing archiving, organizing and disseminating data.

Products developed by engineers are complex frameworks or devices that apply engineering concepts to perform certain tasks or solve technical challenges.

These are some examples of how engineers of various types develop systems according to their own special knowledge and perspective:

• Civil Engineering Systems
• Mechanical Engineering Systems
• Chemical Engineering Systems
• Electrical Engineering Systems
• Software Engineering Systems

It is the process of designing, developing and maintaining software to perform certain tasks eradicating errors. For instance, an online tool assisting a library in tracking books, users as well as stock in their procession.

Social systems refer to structured frameworks established by individuals to effectively handle social interactions, organizational governance, and communal endeavors.

Here are few examples of social systems:

• Academic institutions
• Governments
• Organizations

Knowledge is our understanding of various systems in the universe around and within us. Science is a systematic way to validate this understanding. Science can be divided into two main types: natural science and design science.

[Diagram: Empirical Cycle of Natural Science, shown as a circular cycle with the stages Problem Investigation/Identification, Hypothesis, Experiment, and Conclusion arranged around the circle in sequence.]

Design Science is focused on designing and creating artifacts (tools, systems, methods) to achieve specific goals. The nature of design science is prescriptive, meaning that it aims to prescribe and create artificial systems.

[Diagram: Regulate Cycle of Design Science, shown as a circular cycle labelled Regulative Cycle at the centre, with the stages Problem Investigation/Identification, Solution Design, Solution Implementation, and Solution Evaluation arranged around the circle in sequence.]

Researchers analyze existing algorithm to understand their efficiency and limitations. For example, studying different sorting algorithms and their characteristics which arrange given data in an order.

The main objective of a computer is to perform computations, process data, and execute different tasks efficiently. For example, a personal computer's objective is to run software applications such as word processors, web browsers and games.

Here are the following external devices:

• Power Supply: Provides electrical power to allow the computer to work.
• Network: Connects the computer to other systems and the internet.
• Peripherals: Include printers, scanners and external discs that expand the computer's capabilities.

[Diagram: Von Neumann Architecture, showing Input feeding into a CPU (Central Processing Unit) block containing the CU (Control Unit), ALU (Arithmetic & Logical Unit), and MU (Memory Unit), which interact with each other, with the CPU producing Output.]

Following are the key components of Von Neumann Architecture:

• Memory
• Central Processing Unit (CPU)
• Input devices
• Output devices

There are three main types of buses available:
Data Bus: Transports data.
Address Bus: Maintains data destination information.
Control Bus: Transports and control electrical signals.

Following are the list of working components:

• Fetching
• Decoding
• Execution
• Storing

Hardware of a computer system refers to the tangible components of the system. These include the Central Processing Unit (CPU), Random Access Memory (RAM), storage devices, and input and output devices.

Software refers to a collection of instructions that dictate the requirements and actions that hardware must do. The two primary categories are: System software and application software.

TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol): The core protocols that govern data transmission over the internet.
User Datagram Protocol (UDP): Faster but less reliable.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP): Used for Transforming files between computers.
Post Office Protocol (POP): Used for retrieving emails from server/network.