System Dynamics Methods: A Quick Introduction
This 125 page set of notes provides a quick introduction to system dynamics
methods using business examples. Vensim notation is used, and free versions of
Vensim can be downloaded for instructional use from Ventana Systems, Inc. A quick reference and tutorial for Vensim can be downloaded from the ASU system dynamics resources page. This document is formatted for two-sided printing, and the blank pages at
the end of some chapters are intentional so that new chapters will start on
right-hand pages.The document can be downloaded in either of two forms:
- Download System Dynamics Methods: A Quick Introductionwhich is a zip archive (sdintro.zip, 1,296,893 bytes) that contains the
Preface/Table of Contents, and Chapters 1 through 9 as separate PDF files.
- Download the Preface/Table of Contents and each chapter as a separate PDF file.
To download a particular item, right-click on it below and select the browser
option "Save as" to save the file. The files are in Adobe PDF, and can be
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- Preface and Table of Contents (preface.pdf, 60,420 bytes)
- Chapter 1: System Behavior and Causal Loop Diagrams(ch-1.pdf, 197,271 bytes)
- Chapter 2: A Modeling Approach (ch-2.pdf, 89,292 bytes)
- Chapter 3: Simulation of Business Processes (ch-3.pdf, 116,032 bytes)
- Chapter 4: Basic Feedback Structures (ch-4.pdf, 178,791 bytes)
- Chapter 5: Developing a Model (ch-5.pdf, 236,413 bytes)
- Chapter 6: Delays, Smoothing, and Averaging (ch-6.pdf, 129,826 bytes)
- Chapter 7: Representing Decision Processes (ch-7.pdf, 201,571 bytes)
- Chapter 8: Nonlinearities (ch-8.pdf, 134,850 bytes)
- Chapter 9: Initial Conditions (ch-9.pdf, 112,872 bytes)
Return to ASU system dynamics resources page.Last updated August 1, 2001.