Ludwig von Bertalanffy | |
|---|---|
 Ludwig von Bertalanffy in 1926 | |
| Born | 19 September 1901 |
| Died | 12 June 1972 (aged 70) |
| Alma mater | University of Vienna |
| Known for | General systems theory Von Bertalanffy function |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Biology and systems theory |
| Thesis | Fechner und das Problem der Integration höherer Ordnung (Fechner and the Problem of Higher-Order Integration) (1926) |
Karl Ludwig von Bertalanffy (19 September 1901 – 12 June 1972) was an Austrian biologist known as one of the founders of general systems theory (GST). This is an interdisciplinary practice that describes systems with interacting components, applicable to biology, cybernetics and other fields. Bertalanffy proposed that the classical laws of thermodynamics might be applied to closed systems, but not necessarily to "open systems" such as living things. His mathematical model of an organism's growth over time, published in 1934,[1] is still in use today.
Bertalanffy grew up in Austria and subsequently worked in Vienna, London, Canada, and the United States.