No abstract

This paper considers the part played by entropy in systems pertaining to discontinuous flow industries. The main principle is that parts or the whole of the economy can be considered to be cybernetic systems. Various assumptions are then made concerning the relationships between industrial cybernetic systems and entropy. It is thus found that in discontinuous flow industries the main objective is a reduction in entropy engendered by the relations between the component systems. The author notes the close connection between entropy and management decisions, and draws some conclusions about optimizing industrial systems.