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Simple vs. Complicated vs. Complex Systems

System is a set of components who form an integrated whole together either by interacting with each other or they are related to each other but are interdependent to each other. Elements of a system have an influence on one another and they need to maintain their activity to not only maintain the existence of the system but also achieve the goal this system is designed for.

System can be defined as the boundary of the system, which this means that a system scope can tell if an entity is inside the system or outside it. A system can be simple, complex or complicated depending upon how easy it is to understand and predict the system.

A simple system behavior is straightforward and predictable, for example, cooling system of an refrigerator. Behavior of a simple system behavior can be predicted accurately, controlled and debugged if there is a bug in it because these systems have very limited number of variables so interaction between those variables are also limited. These systems are easy to model and simulate.

A complicated system has too many parts to be straightforward which makes it quite difficult to predict also. They use a lot of sophisticated mathematical algorithms and engineering expertise to solve a problem. But it is possible to described in terms of their behaviors and characteristics using statistical or probabilistic methods. Such systems are basically complicated because of their sheer size, for example network of systems in a corporate, or NASA's space's shuttle

A complex system is a different story altogether. It almost impossible to predict the working of the system. They are almost impossible to model and simulate. Its like predicting the success of your child future, or determining whether or not you will apply the break at the same points and drive at the same set of speeds while going to office everyday.