Preface

Citation

Rudall, B.H. (2008), "Preface", Kybernetes, Vol. 37 No. 9/10. https://doi.org/10.1108/k.2008.06737iaa.001

Preface

Article Type: Preface From: Kybernetes, Volume 37, Issue 9/10

This special double issue of the journal has been compiled by our Guest Editors Mian-yun Chen, Yi Lin and Hejing Xiong, and is Part I of two publications which examines the modelling and the analysis of uncertain systems.

It contains some 30 contributions which reflect the work of the International Institute for General Systems Studies Inc., which organised its 5th Workshop at Wuhan. China in June 2007.

Both Parts I and II on this theme present a special, insight into the activities in research and development of a selected group of contributors. Held in China it gives us, in particular, a view of the activities of the workshop participants who are contributing to the fields of systems, cybernetics and the management sciences. The papers included here confirm that a multidisciplinary approach to such topics is essential and that a mathematical stance is vitally important in tackling such areas of endeavour.

Our guest editors have carefully selected papers from the proceedings of the workshop that cover the wide range of interests of its participants. These contributions have been updated and expanded and again peer-reviewed before their acceptance for these issues.

We would wish to thank the guest editors for carrying out such an enormous task and in producing such a fascinating range of studies.

In particular, we would thank Dr Yi Lin, a member of our Editorial Advisory Board, for his energetic support over many years and for encouraging the publication of specially-themed issues which have been so well received by the systems and cybernetics global communities.

This special issue, as is our practice, also contains our regular journal sections and selected contributions.

Brian H. RudallEditor-in-Chief