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Beer, 1966

In his book Decision and Control, Stafford Beer (1966) identified three stages in the recognition of a system. He noted "we acknowledge particular relationships which are obtrusive: this turns a mere collection into something that may be called an assemblage. Secondly, we detect a pattern in the set of relationships concerned: this turns an assemblage into a systematically arranged assemblage. Thirdly, we perceive a purpose served by this arrangement: and there is a system." (p. 242)

Beer, S., Decision and Control, London: John Wiley and Sons, 1966.

appeared in DSS News, April 22, 2001, Vol. 2, No. 9