TY  - JOUR
AB  - Purpose– Based on some of the results and definitions provided in the paper “system linkage: structural functions and hierarchies” and adding new definitions that are in keeping with the spirit of the same paper, new results have been obtained that explore the utility of the structural input‐output function.Design/methodology/approach– Our approach is based principally on the application of graph theory to the study of relationships between variables using specific set theory concepts.Findings– A result such as the fact that A covers B, for example, can be interpreted in terms of the latter set being formed of direct influences from elements in the former set in relation to one or more than one relationships. Analogously, the invariant set concept may be interpreted as the set maintaining its structure and status, remaining constant with respect to any possible relationships.Originality/value– From a practical point of view, in the context of the study of networks within an ecosystem, authors (such as Patten et al. and Patten) have demonstrated that indirect effects between the variables of an ecosystem outweigh direct effects. This is the notion that the present authors have borne in mind in order to extend previous results to indirect influences from a discrete perspective.
VL  - 35
IS  - 7/8
SN  - 0368-492X
DO  - 10.1108/03684920610675210
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/03684920610675210
AU  - Francesc Esteve‐Calvo Pasqual
AU  - Lloret‐Climent Miguel
ED  - Matjaz Mulej
PY  - 2006
Y1  - 2006/01/01
TI  - Coverage, invariability and orbits by structural functions
T2  - Kybernetes
PB  - Emerald Group Publishing Limited
SP  - 1236
EP  - 1240
Y2  - 2024/04/20
ER  -