# Systems thinking
## MicroSim spec
- **Recommended sim type:** particle/agent simulation
- **Microsimmability score:** 92/100
- **Layout:** agent field (canvas) on top with an order-parameter readout; sliders below.
### Parameters (tunable controls)
- `Number of agents N`
- `Interaction radius`
- `Coupling strength`
### What animates
Many simple agents follow local rules; a global pattern emerges and shifts as the rule parameters change.
### Learning objective
Show how local agent rules produce emergent global order.
## Links (Wikipedia order)
<!-- injected from _registry/childlinks/Systems_thinking.json (2026-07-30T02:09:12Z) -->
`Adam_Smith` · [[Adaptation]] · [[Agent-based_model]] · `Aleksandr_Lyapunov` · [[Alexander_Bogdanov]] · [[Allenna_Leonard]] · `Almagest` · [[Anatol_Rapoport]] · [[Ant_colony_optimization_algorithms]] · [[Anthony_Wilden]] · [[Artificial_intelligence]] · [[Artificial_life]] · [[Attractor]] · [[Autopoiesis]] · [[Barbara_J._Grosz]] · [[Bifurcation_theory]] · `Biogeochemistry` · [[Biological_system]] · [[Black_box]] · [[Bounded_rationality]] · [[Béla_H._Bánáthy]] · [[C._West_Churchman]] · `Carnot_cycle` · [[Cellular_automaton]] · [[Centrality]] · [[Chaos_theory]] · [[Charles_A._S._Hall]] · [[Claude_Shannon]] · [[Closed_system]] · [[Collective_action]] · [[Collective_behavior]] · [[Collective_consciousness]] · [[Collective_intelligence]] · [[Complex_adaptive_system]] · [[Complex_system]] · [[Conceptual_system]] · `Constraint_satisfaction_problem` · `Control-Lyapunov_function` · [[Control_theory]] · [[Conversation_theory]] · `Copernican_heliocentrism` · `Cosmos` · [[Coupled_human–environment_system]] · [[Coupled_map_lattice]] · `Critical_systems_thinking` · [[Cybernetics]] · `DSRP` · [[Dissipative_system]] · [[Donella_Meadows]] · `Double_Diamond_(design_process_model)` · [[Doubling_time]] · [[Dynamic_network_analysis]] · [[Dynamical_system]] · [[Earth_system_science]] · `Ecological_resilience` · `Economic_system` · [[Ecosystem]] · [[Edsger_W._Dijkstra]] · [[Edward_Norton_Lorenz]] · [[Emergence]] · [[Entropy]] · `Equation_solving` · [[Eric_Trist]] · [[Evolution]] · [[Evolutionary_computation]] · [[Evolutionary_developmental_biology]] · [[Evolutionary_game_theory]] · [[Evolutionary_robotics]] · [[Evolvability]] · [[Feedback]] · [[Fractal]] · [[Francisco_Varela]] · `Fred_Emery_(psychologist)` · [[Game_theory]] · [[Genetic_algorithm]] · [[Genetic_programming]] · `Geocentrism` · [[Geomorphology]] · [[George_Dantzig]] · [[George_Klir]] · [[Goal_orientation]] · [[Graph_theory]] · [[Gregory_Bateson]] · `Heat` · [[Heinz_von_Foerster]] · [[Herd_mentality]] · [[Hierarchy]] · `Hindley–Milner_type_system` · `Hipparchus_star_catalog` · `History_of_Animals` · [[Holism]] · [[Homeostasis]] · [[Howard_T._Odum]] · [[Humberto_Maturana]] · [[Ilya_Prigogine]] · [[Industrial_ecology]] · [[Information_system]] · [[Information_theory]] · [[Isaac_Newton]] · `James_Clerk_Maxwell` · [[James_Grier_Miller]] · [[James_J._Kay]] · `James_Watt` · [[Jay_Wright_Forrester]] · [[Jennifer_Wilby]] · [[Johannes_Kepler]] · [[John_Seddon]] · `Kalloni` · [[Kathleen_Carley]] · [[Katia_Sycara]] · `Kenneth_E._Boulding` · [[Kevin_Warwick]] · `Laws_of_thermodynamics` · [[Limiting_factor]] · [[List_of_systems_sciences_organizations]] · `List_of_systems_scientists` · [[Living_systems]] · [[Ludwig_von_Bertalanffy]] · `Lyapunov_function` · [[Lydia_Kavraki]] · `MIT_Radiation_Laboratory` · [[Machine_learning]] · `Management_cybernetics` · [[Manfred_Clynes]] · [[Manuela_M._Veloso]] · [[Margaret_Boden]] · [[Margaret_Mead]] · [[Mary_Cartwright]] · `Max_Weber` · [[Mihajlo_D._Mesarovic]] · `Mike_Jackson_(systems_scientist)` · [[Multi-agent_system]] · [[Multistability]] · [[Murray_Bowen]] · [[Negative_feedback]] · [[Nervous_system]] · [[Network_motif]] · [[Network_science]] · [[Neural_network_(machine_learning)]] · [[Niklas_Luhmann]] · `Non-equilibrium_thermodynamics` · [[Nonlinear_system]] · [[Norbert_Wiener]] · [[Ontology_engineering]] · [[Operationalization]] · [[Operations_research]] · [[Ordinary_differential_equation]] · [[Partial_differential_equation]] · [[Particle_swarm_optimization]] · [[Pattern_formation]] · [[Percolation]] · [[Peter_Senge]] · [[Phase_space]] · [[Phase_transition]] · `Philosophiæ_Naturalis_Principia_Mathematica` · `Physical_plant` · [[Physical_system]] · `Planet` · `Political_system` · `Politics_(Aristotle)` · `Polysemy` · [[Population_dynamics]] · [[Positive_feedback]] · `Power_supply` · [[Principia_Cybernetica]] · [[Prisoner's_dilemma]] · [[Qian_Xuesen]] · `Radar_warning_receiver` · [[Radhika_Nagpal]] · [[Rational_choice_model]] · [[Reaction–diffusion_system]] · [[Recommender_system]] · `Reflections_on_the_Motive_Power_of_Fire` · `Relationalism` · `Robert_Hooke` · [[Robustness_(computer_science)]] · `Russell_L._Ackoff` · `Ruzena_Bajcsy` · [[Scalability]] · [[Scale-free_network]] · [[Second-order_cybernetics]] · [[Self-organization]] · [[Self-organized_criticality]] · [[Self-reference]] · [[Self-replication]] · [[Sensemaking]] · [[Signal_processing]] · [[Small-world_network]] · [[Social_dynamics]] · [[Social_network_analysis]] · `Social_system` · [[Sociotechnical_system]] · `Soft_systems_methodology` · [[Spatial_ecology]] · `Stability_theory` · [[Stafford_Beer]] · `Star` · [[Stephanie_Forrest]] · [[Swarm_behaviour]] · [[Synchronization]] · [[System]] · [[System_dynamics]] · `System_of_equations` · `Systemic_design` · `Systemics` · `Systems_analysis` · `Systems_art` · [[Systems_biology]] · [[Systems_ecology]] · [[Systems_engineering]] · [[Systems_neuroscience]] · [[Systems_pharmacology]] · `Systems_philosophy` · `Systems_psychology` · [[Systems_science]] · [[Systems_theory]] · `Systems_theory_in_anthropology` · [[Systems_theory_in_archaeology]] · [[Systems_theory_in_political_science]] · [[Talcott_Parsons]] · `The_Fifth_Discipline` · `The_Protestant_Ethic_and_the_Spirit_of_Capitalism` · `The_Structure_of_Social_Action` · `Theory_of_computation` · `Thinking_In_Systems:_A_Primer` · [[Time_series]] · `Transmitter` · [[Twelve_leverage_points]] · [[Urban_metabolism]] · [[Variety_(cybernetics)]] · `Viable_system_model` · `Victor_Aladjev` · `Walter_Bradford_Cannon` · `World-systems_theory` · `World_War_II`
## From the Real GENERATIVE library (beauty pass)
*Systems thinking — image hotlinked from Wikimedia Commons (via the Real G.E.N.E.R.A.T.I.V.E. course library, Engineering room). [Details & license](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Systems_thinking_about_the_society.svg).*
> Collective intelligence Collective action Self-organized criticality Herd mentality Phase transition Agent-based modelling Synchronization Ant colony optimization Particle swarm optimization Swarm behaviour ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_thinking))
<!-- BEAUTY-PASS-MEDIA:END -->
> p5.js MicroSim stub · part of [[System]] · [Wikipedia source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_thinking)
> Relation: subfield of System.
## Concept summary
[[Collective_intelligence|Collective intelligence]] [[Collective_action|Collective action]] [[Self-organized_criticality|Self-organized criticality]] [[Herd_mentality|Herd mentality]] [[Phase_transition|Phase transition]] Agent-based modelling [[Synchronization]] Ant colony optimization [[Particle_swarm_optimization|Particle swarm optimization]] [[Swarm_behaviour|Swarm behaviour]]
## Build checklist
- [ ] Claim it: set `status: in-progress` + `lease` + `leased_at`
- [ ] Write the child page explaining the concept (tie it back to system)
- [ ] Finalize parameter ranges and defaults
- [ ] Implement the p5.js sketch (drawing + control regions)
- [ ] Add caption + the learning objective on the page
- [ ] Set `status: done`
## p5.js sketch
```javascript
// MicroSim: Systems thinking
let controls = {};
function setup() {
// createCanvas(...); create sliders for the parameters above.
}
function draw() {
// background(...); read controls; render particle/agent simulation; respond live.
}
```
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Back to [[System]] · Wikipedia: [Systems thinking](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_thinking)
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## Semiotic profile
> *The semiotic universals this article invokes, machine-derived from the crossref — **unverified** (born so). Populated 2026-07-06 for the Systems room.*
**Universals (7):** 🟡 system (48) · 🟢 emergence (18) · 🟢 optimization (10) · 🟡 science (6) · 🟢 phase transition (3) · 🟢 feedback (3) · 🟢 flow (2)
**Enter by sign:** Systems Semiotic Gateway · Alphabetum · Icon Registry · ← Systems Portal
<!-- SEMIOTIC-PROFILE:END -->
<!-- BEAUTY-PASS-MEDIA:START -->
## Wikipedia : Wikitube
**Strict pair:** [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_thinking) : [Wikitube](https://en.wikitube.io/wiki/Systems_thinking)
## Previous hub tags
Tree parents: [[Complex_system]] · [[Control_theory]] · [[Cybernetics]] · [[Emergence]] · [[Feedback]] · [[Network_theory]] · [[Operations_research]] · [[Reliability_engineering]] · [[Self-organization]] · [[Stock_and_flow]] · [[System_dynamics]] · [[Systems_engineering]] · [[Systems_science]] · [[Systems_theory]].
Legacy hubs: none.
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*Sources: 4 legacy notes. Minted wave 1, 2026-07-30 (v1.6 order).*