The case when the system is such that not all of it is accessible to
DESIGN FOR A BRAIN
AN INTRODUCTION TO
CYBERNETICS
By
Copyright © 1956, 1999
By The Estate of W. Ross Ashby
Non- profit reproduction and distribution of this text for
Educational and research reasons is permitted
Providing this copyright statement is included
Referencing this text:
W. Ross Ashby, An Introduction to Cybernetics,
Chapman & Hall, London, 1956. Internet (1999):
http://pcp.vub.ac.be/books/IntroCyb.pdf
W. ROSS ASHBY
M.A., M.D.(Cantab.), D.P.M.
Director of Research
Barnwood House, Gloucester
Prepared for the Principia
Cybernetica Web
With kind permission of the Estate trustees
SECOND IMPRESSION
Jill Ashby
Sally Bannister
Ruth Pettit
Many thanks to
Mick Ashby
Concept
Francis Heylighen
Realisation
Alexander Riegler
With additional help from
Didier Durlinger
An Vranckx
Véronique Wilquet
LONDON
CHAPMAN & HALL LTD
ESSEX STREET WC2
1957
First published 1956
Second impression 1957
PR E FAC E
Many workers in the biological sciences— physiologists,
Psychologists, sociologists— are interested in cybernetics and
Would like to apply its methods and techniques to their own spe-
Ciality. Many have, however, been prevented from taking up the
Subject by an impression that its use must be preceded by a long
Study of electronics and advanced pure mathematics; for they
Have formed the impression that cybernetics and these subjects
Are inseparable.
The author is convinced, however, that this impression is false.
The basic ideas of cybernetics can be treated without reference to
Electronics, and they are fundamentally simple; so although
Advanced techniques may be necessary for advanced applications,
A great deal can be done, especially in the biological sciences, by
The use of quite simple techniques, provided they are used with a
Clear and deep understanding of the principles involved. It is the
Author’s belief that if the subject is founded in the common-place
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And well understood, and is then built up carefully, step by step,
There is no reason why the worker with only elementary mathe-
Matical knowledge should not achieve a complete understanding
Of its basic principles. With such an understanding he will then be
Able to see exactly what further techniques he will have to learn if
He is to proceed further; and, what is particularly useful, he will be
Able to see what techniques he can safely ignore as being irrele-
Vant to his purpose.
The book is intended to provide such an introduction. It starts
From common-place and well-understood concepts, and proceeds,
Step by step, to show how these concepts can be made exact, and
How they can be developed until they lead into such subjects as
Feedback, stability, regulation, ultrastability, information, coding,
Noise, and other cybernetic topics. Throughout the book no
Knowledge of mathematics is required beyond elementary alge-
Bra; in particular, the arguments nowhere depend on the calculus
(the few references to it can be ignored without harm, for they are
Intended only to show how the calculus joins on to the subjects
Discussed, if it should be used). The illustrations and examples are
Mostly taken from the biological, rather than the physical, sci-
Ences. Its overlap with Design for a Brain is small, so that the two
Books are almost independent. They are, however, intimately
Related, and are best treated as complementary; each will help to
Illuminate the other.
v
Catalogue No. 567/4
MADE AND PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY
WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, LONDON AND BECCLES
A N I N T R O D UC T I O N T O C Y B E R NE T I C S
PRE FAC E
It is divided into three parts.
Part I deals with the principles of Mechanism, treating such
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Matters as its representation by a transformation, what is meant by
“stability”, what is meant by “feedback”, the various forms of
Independence that can exist within a mechanism, and how mech-
Anisms can be coupled. It introduces the principles that must be
Followed when the system is so large and complex (e.g. brain or
Society) that it can be treated only statistically. It introduces also
the case when the system is such that not all of it is accessible to
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