Cybernetics is the science of control processes in dynamic systems, which is based on the theoretical basis of logic, mathematics and the widespread use of computer technology for these purposes .
About two hundred years ago, Andre Marie Ampere completed the work entitled Essays on the Philosophy of Sciences. In his work, the French mathematician and physicist sought to bring into the system all existing scientific knowledge. The scientist placed science in a separate section, which, according to his assumption, should have been studying the ways of managing society. He formed the name of this science from the Greek word “cybernetes”, meaning “helmsman”, “helmsman”.
The science of cybernetics was placed by Ampere in the "Politics" section. For a long time the term was not used at all, in fact forgetting about it.
It was not until 1948 that Norbert Wiener , an American mathematician, published the work Cybernetics, or Control and Communication in Living Organisms and Machines. The book aroused keen public interest.
The cornerstones of cybernetics were the theory of information, the theory of automata, and the theory of algorithms, which studied methods of constructing systems designed to process information. The mathematical apparatus of the science of cybernetics is very wide. It includes probability theory, function theory, mathematical logic, and other branches of mathematics.
In the development of scientific approaches to cybernetics, biology has played an important role, studying the management processes inherent in living nature. The decisive factor in the development of cybernetics was the growth of automation and electronics, which led to the emergence of computers with high speed. This opened up unprecedented opportunities for processing information and modeling control systems.
Physics, mathematics, biology, psychiatry, physiology, economics, philosophy, and engineering of various directions began to use the services of the new science.
Since cybernetics studies management processes, these sciences sought to develop management processes in the areas of their own interests. As a result, the closest attention in the study was drawn to a living organism - to the person himself, who was a control system of the highest type, the functions of which scientists and engineers sought to reproduce using automatic machines.
Cybernetics explores the general properties of various control systems that are inherent in living nature, the organic world, and the collective of people.
The control object (machine, automated line, living cell, character set) and control device (brain or automatic machine) constantly exchange information.
Management is associated with the transfer, storage, accumulation, processing of data, information that characterizes the object, external conditions, the course of processes, the work program.
Different systems differ from each other in the nature of information carriers (light, sound, chemical, mechanical, electrical signals, documents). But in any case, these processes are subject to general laws. All of them are characterized by feedback. Also, all control devices include elements and functions that have common features common to living organisms and artificial machines. They are able to perceive information, accumulate it, remember, etc.
Cybernetics has developed extremely fast. In about a quarter of a century, it has become one of the leading disciplines that has received scientific recognition and universal significance.
Today, cybernetics is a full-fledged science about the principles of management in certain areas of science and society (economic, technical, nuclear cybernetics, etc.) Cybernetics develops concepts and builds management models.
Cybernetic is a type of control that considers the organization as a system whose elements are interconnected; provides an optimal solution to dynamic tasks; uses specific cybernetics methods (feedback, self-organization, etc.); It uses automation and mechanization of management work based on control and computing equipment and computers.