RE GU LA TI N G TH E V ER Y LA R GE SY STE M
Two varieties can be distinguished: there is (i) the variety within
The basic class (2 for the coin, the number of distinct possible ages
In B), and (ii) the variety built up by using the basic class n times
Over (if the vector has n components). In the example of the coin,
The two varieties are 2 and 64. In general, if the variety within the
Basic class is k, and the vector has n components, each a member
Of the class, then the two varieties are, at most, k, and kn. In par-
Ticular it should be noticed that if the variety in the basic class has
Some limit, then a suitably large value of n will enable the second
Variety to be made larger than the limit.
These considerations are applicable in many cases of regu-
Lation. Suppose, for definiteness, that the water bath may be
Affected in each minute by one of the three individual distur-
Bances:
A) a draught of air cooling it,
B) sunshine warming it,
C) a cold object being immersed in it.
The variety is three, but this number is hardly representative of
The variety that will actually occur over a long time. Over a year,
Say, the Grand Disturbance is a long vector, with perhaps some
Hundreds of components. Thus one Grand Disturbance might be
The vector (i.e. the sequence) with 400 components:
(a, b, a, b, b, a, c, b, b, c, c, b, b, …c, b, a, b).
And if the individually correct responses are, respectively α, β
and γ, then the Grand Response appropriate to this particular Dis-
Turbance would be the vector (i.e. sequence)
( α, β, α, β, β, α, γ, β, β, γ, γ, β, β, … γ, β, α, β).
If there is no constraint in the Disturbance from component to
Component as one goes from left to right, the whole set of possible
Disturbances has variety of 3400; and the Grand Response must
Have at least as much if full regulation is to be obtained.
We now come to the point: the double sequence, as it occurred
In time, shows the characteristic constraint of a machine, i.e. it
Defines a machine up to an isomorphism. Thus, in the example
Just given, the events occurred in the order, from left to right:
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a b a b b a c b b c c …, etc.
α β α β β α γ β β γ γ …, etc.
(though not necessarily at equal time-intervals). It is now easily
250
Verified that this sequence, as a protocol, defines the machine with
Input:
↓ αβγ
a ααα
b βββ
c γγγ
Thus when the Grand Disturbance is a vector whose components
Are all from a basic set of disturbances, the Grand Response can
Either be a vector of equal variety or the output of a suitable
Machine with input.
Suppose that the regulation discussed throughout Part III is
The responsibility of some entity Q, often the possessor of the
Essential variables E. Through the previous chapters we have stud-
Ied how the regulator R must behave. We have now seen that in the
Case when the disturbances are repetitive, Q has the option of
Either being the regulator (i.e. acting as R) or of building a machine
That, once built, will act as R and will carry out a regulation of
Indefinite length without further action by Q. We have thus arrived
At the question: should Q achieve the regulation directly, by his
Own actions, or should he build a machine to undertake the work?
The question would also have arisen for another reason. From
The beginning of Part III we took for granted that the regulator
Existed, and we then asked what properties it must have. Nothing
Was said about how the regulator came to be made, about the fac-
Tors that brought it into existence. Thus, having seen in S.10/5 how
Advantageous it would be if the organism could have a regulator,
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We showed no means by which the advantage could be gained.
For both these reasons we must now start to consider how a reg-
Ulatory machine is actually to be designed and made. Here we
Shall be thinking not so much of the engineer at his bench as of the
Brain that, if it is to achieve regulation in its learned reactions,
Must somehow cause the development of regulatory machinery
Within the nervous material available; or of the sociologist who
Wants a regulatory organisation to bring harmony into society.
To understand what is involved, we must look more closely at
What is implied, in principle, in the “designing” of a regulatory
Machine.
DES I GNI NG THE R EGU LATO R
3|11. Design as communication. Let us forget, temporarily, all
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