Book Recommendation: "System/Model Theory"

Question

I recently read Evans DDD, Fowler PoEAA and Fowler Analysis Patterns. These books got me interested in "modeling" as a more general terms. I noticed there are so many parallels to physics or mathematics, so I wonder if there is a field of science that deals with things like leaky Abstractions, defining Systems based on axioms, drawing conclusions in deterministic systems, non-deterministic systems and such.

I definitely do think this is Programming Related, as it lies at the core of what programmes are doing: abstracting reality into models, defining new systems with new rules.

Can anyone recommend a good book about it or point me to interesting resources?

Answer 1

There are majors like System Dynamics. This is not directly what you were looking for, but its in the same vein of modeling higher level systems.

From the WPI site:

System dynamics deals with how things change through time, which includes most of what most people find important. It uses computer simulation to take the knowledge we already have about details in the world around us to show why our social and physical systems behave the way they do. System dynamics demonstrates how most of our own decision-making policies are the cause of the problems that we usually blame on others, and how to identify policies we can follow to improve our situation.

Looking through some of the courses will lead to some good resources.

Answer 2

I think this book is a very Interesting one: Gödel, Escher, Bach by Douglas Hofstadter.

Answer 3

I can suggest these:

• "An Introduction to General Systems Thinking" by Gerald Weinberg.
• "Understanding Computers and Cognition" by Terry Winograd and Fernando Flores
• "Metapattern" by Pieter Wisse
• "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Robert Pirsig
• "Heuristics and Biases" by Thomas Gilovich, Dale Griffin and Daniel Kahneman
• Oh, and "Gödel, Escher, Bach" by Douglas Hofstadter, for sure!

It's a wild range. Hope it helps.