This paper describes preliminary research in formalizing Isomorphic Systems Processes, Patterns or Pathologies (ISPs) using automated systems engineering tools, based on systems science research. Monterey Phoenix (MP) is a behavior modeling approach and tool used by systems engineers to describe system behaviors and expose emergent behaviors in engineered, complex systems. MP is introduced in the context of its potential for modeling ISPs both abstractly (at the universal patterns level) and concretely (at the example, case study, or instantiation level). In this paper, the Cycles ISP is modeled in MP and executed to compute many possible variations for the Cycles ISP. Input for the model of Cycles ISP comes from the accumulating SPT relational data base of 30 categories of information for each ISP briefly described in the paper. Selection of key information from just four of the categories were used to model the Cycles ISP in Monterey Phoenix, namely, “Identifying Features,” “Measurables,” “Identifying Functions,” and “How a Process.” Inspection of the output from this executable model provides insight to inform the proposed ISP taxonomy. In particular, MP-generated variants of the Cycles ISP are shown to contain patterns of positive feedback, negative feedback, oscillation, lifecycle, and recycling. Although, the input relational data base contained preliminary information on three of these (oscillations, lifecycles, and recycling), the other two were not anticipated in pre-model analyses. Applications of the Cycles ISP are included to demonstrate example instances of where these patterns occur and which deviations from the standard universal patterns might result in system dysfunctions or pathologies. The paper suggests how knowledge of these deviations might contribute to knowledge of why they occur at the fundamental general systems level, what exact impacts they have, and how they might be corrected. The initial results show that MP is a productive framework for describing an ISP as a formal and executable model, in terms of a simple and straightforward event grammar. Future work includes expanding the overall SPT-MP meta-model with other proposed ISPs (there are at least 55 additional ISPs available), creating more exploratory executions of the meta-model, and cataloging the formal MP models of ISPs. The ultimate goal would be to interconnect a sufficient number of the ISPs to yield a very general model of sustainable systems dynamics at all scales and for many types or classes of systems as well as models of dysfunction that are often encountered in engineering and natural systems.
