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When Is A Mechanism Not A Mechanism The Network TH 1988 Mathematical and Co
When Is A Mechanism Not A Mechanism The Network TH 1988 Mathematical and Co
D. C. Mikulecky
464
Proc. 6th Int. Conf: on Mathematical Modelling 465
need to reduce organisms and their subsystems possible to go beyond the usual nonequilibrium
to a level where the available theory lost the thermodynamics (see, for example, Katchalsky
essence of biological organization and and Curran, 1964 and Caplan and Essig, 1985) to
complexity. an incorporation of more "mechanistic" models
via network thermodynamic methods and a close
Rosen's Distinction examination of the relationship of mechanistic
(thermokinetic) networks and thermodynamic
Rosen (1985) distinguishes between simple networks.
mechanisms and complex systems in a useful way.
The attributes of the two categories are The network thermodynamic auuroach to
largely complimentary. Simple mechanisms are noneauilibrium thermodynamics.
those which fit the Newtonian Paradigm and, at
best, only locally approximate complex systems. To illustrate how the network approach sheds
Three distinct causalities, material, new light on nonequilibrium thermodynamics, a
effective, and formal have distinct two degree of freedom system will be used as an
manifestations in the mathematics. Final cause example. The results are far mare general and
is completely absent. Complex systems, on the extend to n degrees of freedom, although they
other hand, are only approximated by the become much harder to visualize. The basic
Newtonian paradigm, are anticipatory, and have formulation for isothermal systems involves the
strong reliance on final cause or teleology. dissipation function
The other three forms of causality are often
mixed in complex systems. Q - T(dS/dt) = Jl Xl + J2 X2, (1)
J = KAB[(A)-(KBA/KAB)(B)I. (17)
Y
X1 = Rll JI + R12 J2 (18)