Principles of the system analysis method and methods of its application

Today we will talk about one of the methods of scientific knowledge, establishing a sequence and relationships between various variables in scientific research.

The most popular method for identifying patterns and relationships is the method of system analysis. Next, we will consider the scope of this method, its features, occurrence and scope.

Definition of the method and its features

System analysis is one of the main methods of scientific knowledge of the surrounding reality and the processes taking place in it. It implies the application of a certain sequence of actions, which leads to the establishment of structural links between constant (constant) and variable (changing, depending on external factors) elements of one system.

Those. This method allows you to determine what and on what in the selected system depends, the change of which factors can affect the change of the entire system, and which ones are not reflected in its existence.

This research direction is a branch of the structural analysis of any phenomenon as a system, where any element cannot be studied separately in abstraction from other factors, but only together and in context with the environment and all elements called the subject area.

To study any system, the main methods of evidence-based science are used:

• experimental;
• statistical;
• mathematical;
• natural sciences.

The demand for and success of this method is mainly justified by the modern development of technology, because. system analysis itself arose during the period of active development of computer technology. Some sources even reduce the very definition of the term to purely computational analysis.

In the future, the data obtained using this technology is used in the management and construction of the concept of development of various industries and regions.

The main purpose of system analysis is to provide modeling of future development, to enable the choice of various ways to solve problems. An important feature is that the very structure of the task and its complexity determine the further course of the search for a solution.

3 types of problems in system analysis

1. Those that have a qualitative structure (well-structured) are those tasks that have quantitatively and qualitatively formulated patterns, derived from previous studies or due to the openness and comprehensibility of the system itself. In any case, these are tasks in which the dependencies between the elements are clarified very well and in detail.
2. Weakly structured (mixed) — systems or tasks that have both known (qualitatively and quantitatively defined) elements and unknown components, factors or aspects of processes, which at the same time have a significant (dominant) influence on the entire system.
3. Unstructured — these are problems that do not have a quantitative and qualitative description, but only signs and characteristics of a descriptive nature, the relationships between which are not established at a reliable level. This is the most difficult and at the same time interesting category to study.

To solve the tasks at any level, a combination of methodological and general scientific principles is used.

Basic principles of the method

Any method of mathematical processing is built on certain principles. For system analysis, they come down to the following:

• The final goal — involves the initial formulation of the goal of the entire study, determining the properties of the entire system under study, as well as the quality and main evaluation criteria.
• Measurements — implies the possibility of comparing the parameters of the studied area with the parameters of the entire external reality. Those. no system and its elements can ever be studied separately from the existence in the whole world, and any evaluation results must be carried out taking into account the supersystem, i.e. environment.
• Unity — all elements of the system are considered as a whole, have an influence on each other, even when each element is considered separately.
• Relationships are one of the main principles of studying interaction, where each element is considered within the system itself and studied from the standpoint of its connection with other components and their mutual influence, as well as connection with the supersystem.
• Equifinality — determination of the potential capabilities of the system, i.e. those of its characteristics that it will achieve solely with its own characteristics, without taking into account the difference in the initial conditions and ways of development.
• Hierarchies — ranking the elements of the system, which ultimately contributes to its structuring and ordering, and also allows you to consider all the patterns.
• Modular construction — implies the allocation of functional modules, including combinations of several elements, due to which excessive detailing can be avoided, and the system itself can be considered not only as the interaction and influence of its individual elements, but also its common parts.

All of these principles are subject to the general principle of development, i.e. determining the maximum potential of the system, its ability to adapt and develop, as well as opportunities for improvement. Any system analysis implies taking into account the uncertainty that a supersystem or random factors can introduce.

Early identification of areas or factors of uncertainty helps to assess the proportion of risk in the calculation of the expected development of the situation or provides an opportunity to create a new system that excludes harmful effects.

Solution methods used

Representing a broad method that uses a combination of various scientific techniques and methodologies, system analysis seeks to build an adequate mathematical model that will reflect all the trends of the phenomenon as much as possible. This is done in order to find in the future the most optimal strategy for managing certain phenomena in a new context or for predicting development in the previous conditions.

Mathematical justification seeks to explain the pattern between several factors of one of the following logical models of linear, non-linear and dynamic programming and others.

The system analysis method involves the use of the following groups of methods:

• Analytical. Classical mathematical methods to describe multidimensional relationships. They are used for those tasks in which the properties and parameters of variables are predetermined, and the nature of the relationship between them is also known. Otherwise, an additional study is needed to provide a degree of adequacy of the system and a detailed description of it.
• Statistical. This category of methods is used to work with non-deterministic systems that are self-managing and self-developing. The most convenient for descriptive processes and events, where it is necessary to identify probabilistic and statistical patterns.
• Set-theoretic. They are used when the system cannot be described and studied in the context of one subject or scientific area. This is work with complex systems, which requires the improvement of programming languages ​​to be able to take into account the impact of a large number of non-linear factors.
• Brain teaser. They imply a simplified description of the system based on the laws of mathematical logic and are useful for building stable structures, but do not take into account many additional factors.
• Linguistic, semiotic and graphic. Thanks to them, new languages, symbols, graphs, signs are created. This is the tool that allows you to formalize the data obtained earlier.

To solve some of the tasks, it is possible to use only one of the directions, while long-term studies or attempts to understand a complex system may require the use of several methods of data analysis at various stages.

Application

The application of system analysis is possible in completely different scientific fields, therefore it would be appropriate to identify the main situations in which this statistical method is useful:

1. Statement of the problem (its detection, appearance). This action can be aimed at solving the problem in order to improve the functioning of the entire system. The very path of research will lie from the initial diagnosis in search of problems to the development of effective strategies for solving the found contradictions or shortcomings.
2. The emergence of new opportunities beyond the studied systemic relationships. This path becomes relevant when the system requires a non-standard transformation or ways to solve existing problems, i.e. the search for factors always goes beyond the usual area.

These approaches are reduced to the search for new relationships and the study of the problem area, but the first option uses the classical approach, while the second requires alternative developmental paths.

Conclusion

Today we got acquainted with what the method of system analysis is. In the following articles, other research methods for studying and describing the existing reality will be considered. Subscribe to our updates and stay tuned for other blog events!

We recommend that you also read an article with methods to help you become a real ambidexter. Those. it is the ability to equally control the left and right hands.

Until new meetings and interesting discoveries!