In systems and engineering, part of the universe outside the boundaries of a system
Also known as surroundings · reservoir · neighborhood · setting · medium · system environment
11 statements · 27% with external sources · numbers in brackets are citations
6 identifiers linking environment across the web's reference databases
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An open system is a system that has external interactions. Such interactions can take the form of information, energy, or material transfers into or out of the system boundary, depending on the discipline which defines the concept. An open system is contrasted with the concept of an isolated system which exchanges neither energy, matter, nor information with its environment. A viable open system exchanges energy, matter, and/or information with its surroundings through semi-permeable, regulated, or established boundaries that preserve identity while enabling adaptive flow.