A Treatise on Systems (in two volumes)
Formerly `Analytical Network and System Administration'
The result of 25 years of research and experience working in the field,
studying and designing Human-Technology ecosystems, together with
industry and academia from `big tech' firms to Wall Street, aerospace,
and space! It unfies principles visible in behaviours from the atomic
realm, to biology, and chemistry, to technology, society, and even
linguistics. The first volume explores the many tools available for
systemic representation. The language of Promise Theory, in the
second volume, brings a simple unifying theme to these disparate
problems. The two volumes may be used as a reference work, or as a
set of lectures building up a vocabulary of patterns to be used
across wide reaching scales.
This is a reincarnation and extension of an older book. My earlier
book Analytical Network and System Administration (Managing
Human-Computer Systems), from 2003, has been a thorn in my side for
years. Originally written as a course book for the Oslo University
College master degree in Network and System Administration, the
publishers would not allow corections, instead making the book more
and more expensive. Thanks to some friendly lawyers at Wiley, I have
recovered the rights to the original, and have been working on a
sequel. The updated and extended material is now available in a
convenient and affordable paperback form, with a new cover, and
updates and corrections. Moreover, I promise to keep the PDF versions
freely available for all.
The result of 25 years of research and experience working in the field, studying and designing Human-Technology ecosystems, together with industry and academia from `big tech' firms to Wall Street, aerospace, and space! It unfies principles visible in behaviours from the atomic realm, to biology, and chemistry, to technology, society, and even linguistics. The first volume explores the many tools available for systemic representation. The language of Promise Theory, in the second volume, brings a simple unifying theme to these disparate problems. The two volumes may be used as a reference work, or as a set of lectures building up a vocabulary of patterns to be used across wide reaching scales.
This is a reincarnation and extension of an older book. My earlier
book Analytical Network and System Administration (Managing
Human-Computer Systems), from 2003, has been a thorn in my side for
years. Originally written as a course book for the Oslo University
College master degree in Network and System Administration, the
publishers would not allow corections, instead making the book more
and more expensive. Thanks to some friendly lawyers at Wiley, I have
recovered the rights to the original, and have been working on a
sequel. The updated and extended material is now available in a
convenient and affordable paperback form, with a new cover, and
updates and corrections. Moreover, I promise to keep the PDF versions
freely available for all.
Although it can never be `finished', this project can now be shared freely, and published in a convenient print form from Amazon: volume 1 and volume 2.
- Volume 1: Analytical description of human-information networks
Introducing analytical techniques for the description of systems. - Exercises based on this book, with solutions
- Volume 2: Intentional systems with faults, errors, and flaws
Applying a unified approach using promise theory. - Animated introduction to promise theory basics
If you use these works, even in their incomplete state, please cite them in your work! Thanks!
Please download updates from time to time. Print versions will track PDF changes within a few days.