Text 1. Control Engineering and Cybernetics

The nature and importance of control processes was known to the ancient Greeks. The Greek word kybernetes, meaning the art of steersmanship, was employed by Plato to refer both to the piloting of a vessel and to the steering of the “ship of state.” From the Greek kybernetes came the Latin gubernator, and hence the English governor. This last word, of course, also has technical and political meanings, both relating to control.

In the twentieth century, the study of the mathematics of control processes has given rise to the academic discipline of control theory and the application of the ideas in the profession of control engineering. Recognition and attention to the ubiquitous nature of control processes in all fields of study gave birth to a new science – “cybernetics.” Cybernetics is not itself a discipline. Rather it is a transdiscipline, the establishment of which, like general system theory, signalled the emergence of systems thinking in its own right. It is cybernetics as a transdiscipline that has provided the vehicle through which ideas from control theory and from information and communication engineering have made contributions to systems thinking no less important than those from organismic biology. During World War II scientists from different disciplines – physicists, electrical engineers, mathematicians, physiologists, etc. – were brought together to work on military problems. An interdisciplinary ferment was created and one group of scientists became aware of the essential unity of a set of problems surrounding communication and control whether in machines or biological entities.

The two key concepts elucidated by Wiener at this time were control and communication. In understanding control, whether in the mechanical, biological, or political realm, the idea of negative feedback was shown to be crucial. This allows a scientific explanation to be provided for behaviour directed to the attainment of a goal. All such behaviour depends upon the use of negative feedback. In this process, information is transmitted about any divergence of behaviour from a preset goal and corrective action taken, on the basis of this information, to bring the behaviour back toward the goal. Communication is equally significant, because if we wish to control the actions of a machine or another human being, then we must communicate with that machine or individual. Thus the theory of control can be seen as part of the theory of messages. Control involves the communication of information.

 

Exercise 3. Answer the questions on text 1.

1. What is the origin and meaning of the word “cybernetics”?      2. What does cybernetics provide? 3. What happened during WWII?    4. What are the two key concepts elucidated by Wiener? 5. What idea is crucial in understanding control? 6. Why is communication significant? 7. What does control involve?

Exercise 4. Translate the sentences after the model.

Model: It is /was… that (who, whom)… It is cybernetics… that has provided the vehicle… – Саме кібернетика… забезпечила шлях… Для стилістичного виділення будь-якого члена речення (підмета, додатка, обставини) його ставлять на початку речення між it is / was та that / who / since .

1. It was on that condition that the order was placed. 2. It is the shipowners who are responsible for the damage to the goods. 3. It was in April that the equipment had to be delivered. 4. It is ten years since he has been learning English. 5. It was the Soviet Union that liberated the peoples of Europe from the Hittler yoke.

 

Exercise 5. Complete the sentences according to the text.

1. It was Plato …

2. It was from the Greek word … that …

3. It was in the 20^th century that …

4. It was during WWII that …

5. It was Wiener who …

 

Exercise 6. Read and translate the following noun-verb pairs.  Mind the word stress.

A control – to control; an increase – to increase; a subject – to subject; a process – to process; an object – to object; transfer – to transfer; a progress – to progress.

 

Exercise 7. Form the derivates. Use them in the sentences of your own.

Model: to employ – employer – employee – employment – unemployment

to mean, to refer, to govern, to relate, to steer, to apply, to establish, to emerge, to contribute, to recognize.

 

Exercise 8. Compose a dialogue on “Control Engineering and cybernetics”

 

Exercise 9. Learn the following words and word combinations.

reveal	– виявляти, показувати
in comprehensive fashion	– у комплексному вигляді
prolific writer	– плодотворний письменник
hold out the promise	– виконати обіцянку
viable system management (VSM)	– управління життєздатною системою
sound	– якісний, міцний, стабільний
opposed to	– на відміну від
operational research	– операційне дослідження
great range of applications	– широкий спектр застосувань
variable	– змінна величина
extreme complexity	– надзвичайна складність
interrelated response	– взаємопов’язана відповідь
black box technique	– технологія «чорної скриньки»
probabilism	– вірогідність
yield	– вихід, результат, сукупність
variety engineering	– різноманіття керування

 

Exercise 10 . Read, translate and give the gist of text 2.

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