Systems.CoExplorer

Len Troncale Live from Neo4j ✓ Source-Verified 2026-03

1943¹–2025² · Cal Poly Pomona³ · ISSS President 1990⁴
Systems Process Theory (SPT) / SoSPT / SP³T⁵

Cell biologist turned systems scientist who taught at Cal Poly Pomona for four decades.⁶ Troncale pioneered Systems Process Theory as an empirical, evidence-based approach to General Systems Theory — identifying 57 Principal Systems Concepts (PSCs),⁷ mapping 142 formal Linkage Propositions between them,⁸ and cataloging 110 isomorphic systems processes across scientific disciplines.⁹ His work evolved from SPT (1978) through SoSPT to SP³T, always insisting that systems science must be grounded in the documented processes of the natural sciences, not vague analogies.¹⁰

In memoriam: Lenard R. Troncale died April 24, 2025 in Claremont, California.² The SP³T pamphlet series — a planned 112-volume "Lifework Legacy production" — was his final project, scheduled for completion by end 2025.¹¹
51 PSCs⁷
129+ Linkage Propositions⁸
110 Isomorphies⁹
8 Concept Packets¹²
Knowledge Graph

Concepts & Linkage Propositions

Each node is a Principal Systems Concept (PSC) from SPT,⁷ queried live from Neo4j. Lines represent Linkage Propositions — formal semantic statements about how one PSC influences another.¹³ Click any node to see its full definition and connected propositions. Drag to pan, scroll to zoom.

Architecture

Eight Concept Packets from Nature's Enduring Patterns

Troncale identified 57 Principal Systems Concepts (PSCs)⁷ organized into 8 major concept packets in Nature's Enduring Patterns (1978).¹⁴ Each PSC met 11 strict criteria¹⁵ — including being sufficiently abstract to be common to all systems yet specific enough to correspond to observable experience. The concept of "PSC" was named at the suggestion of Dr. Richard F. Ericson;¹⁶ the term "Linkage Propositions" was proposed by Dr. Albert G. Wilson.¹⁷

Evolution

Theory Development: 1971–2025

1971
First paper presented: Origins of Hierarchical Levels Through the Action of Systems Field Axioms (published 1972, ISGSR 16th Annual Meeting).¹⁸
1978a
Nature's Enduring Patterns published — 57 PSCs organized in 8 concept packets, 142 Linkage Propositions.¹⁴ Guest essays by Albert G. Wilson, Donna Wilson, and Richard Britz.¹⁹ Glossary compiled by Ruth M. Harmer.²⁰
1978b
NATO paper (Linkage Propositions Between Fifty Principal Systems Concepts, in Klir, ed., Plenum Press) formalizes the linked system of 57 Principal Systems Concepts with 142 Linkage Propositions.²¹ Introduces 11 criteria for PSC identification¹⁵ and coins the term structurprocess.²²
1983
Towards a Formalization of Systems Linkage Propositions published with B. H. Voorhees (SGSR Annual Conference, Detroit).²³ Proposes 7 representation techniques for LPs including context/nesting, entitation, category switching, and duality. Note: this paper presents a formalization strategy; full mathematical formalization was not completed.²⁴
2001
Systems Pathology framework first presented at ISSS Annual Conference, Asilomar, Pacific Grove, California.²⁵
2011
Cyberpathologies identified — more than a dozen dysfunctional feedback architectures classified as a distinct class of systems dysfunction.²⁶
2012
Major refinement: 110 candidate processes reduced to 40 core (SPT1), Linkage Propositions exceed 200 (SPT2), isomorphy for cycling demonstrated across 52 case studies (SPT3).²⁷
2014
SPT V: Assessment of a Socio-Technical System Using Systems Process Theory and Systems Pathology published with Dawn Gilbert (ISSS 58th Annual Conference, George Washington University).²⁸ By this point ~100 combined ISSS/INCOSE papers by ~15 collaborators.²⁹
2017
Systems Processes Theory as Systems Science & General Systems Theory (4SPT as GST) presented at ISSS — argues SPT is a candidate General Systems Theory and prototype Systems Science.³⁰
2020s
SP³T with ISP1–ISP23 (plus exotic ISPs 24–30),³¹ 15 spin-off topics,³² 112 planned pamphlets.¹¹ Online course developed with Peter D. Tuddenham.³³
SP³T Framework

Isomorphic Systems Processes (ISPs)

In the mature SP³T formulation, Troncale replaced the earlier PSC vocabulary with ISPs — Isomorphic Systems Processes. The term ISP and its companion PSM (Principal Systems Mechanism) appear in the 2017 ISSS presentation.³⁰ ISP numbering and titles below are taken directly from the SP³T pamphlet series planning document.³¹

Evidence Base

110 Isomorphies⁹

Isomorphies are cross-disciplinary pattern instances — empirical evidence that the same fundamental processes appear across physics, chemistry, biology, ecology, and social systems. The catalog contains exactly 110 numbered items, from Adaptation Processes (ISP 1) to Zipf's/Pareto's Relation as a Process (ISP 110).³⁴

Coined Terms

Key Terms Introduced by Troncale

structurprocess
Coined in the NATO paper (1978) to emphasize the unity of structure and process — a rejection of the structure/process dichotomy.²²
Principal Systems Concepts (PSCs)
Named at the suggestion of Dr. Richard F. Ericson (NATO acknowledgments). Concepts meeting 11 strict criteria for genuine isomorphic systems patterns.¹⁶
Linkage Propositions (LPs)
Term suggested by Dr. Albert G. Wilson rather than Troncale's original "linkage theorems" (NATO acknowledgments, 1978).¹⁷
Isomorphic Systems Process (ISP)
Central organizing term in later SP³T work, replacing PSC in the mature formulation. Appears in 2017 ISSS presentation alongside PSM (Principal Systems Mechanism).³⁰
cyberpathologies
Class of systems dysfunctions involving errors in feedback architecture — more than a dozen types identified by 2011.²⁶
USSO
Unbroken Sequence of Systems Origins — Troncale's term for the continuous chain from physical to living systems. Appears in the Math & SPT paper and pamphlet series planning document.³⁵
SysInformatics
Systematic collection of 26 categories of information for each systems process. Described in Gilbert-Troncale 2014 as an ongoing program.³⁶
Template Model
The LP network visualized as a directed graph — described as a "self-guiding template for understanding systems." Introduced in the Math & SPT paper (1983).³⁷
Collaborators

Key Collaborators

Dr. Albert G. Wilson¹⁷
Key intellectual collaborator. Suggested the term "Linkage Propositions" (over Troncale's original "linkage theorems"). Guest essayist in Nature's Enduring Patterns.
Dr. Donna Wilson¹⁹
Guest essayist in Nature's Enduring Patterns (1978).
B. H. Voorhees²³
Co-author on mathematical formalization paper (1983, SGSR Detroit).
Department of Mathematics, Athabasca University, Edmonton, Alberta
Dawn Gilbert²⁸
Co-author on SPT industrial case study — Thales UK application (ISSS 2014).
The Systems Centre, University of Bristol
Peter D. Tuddenham³³
Online course production collaborator (SP³T pamphlet series planning document).
Dr. Richard F. Ericson¹⁶
Suggested the term "Principal Systems Concepts" (NATO acknowledgments, 1978).
Key Works

Source Documents

Verification status: All works listed below were directly examined in primary source form (OCR text, PDF, .docx, or .pptx) during the March 2026 source audit. Works marked † were verified against the references list in Gilbert & Troncale (2014).
Nature's Enduring Patterns: A Review of the Concepts Used in Systems Theory¹⁴
Troncale, L.R. (1978). Institute for Advanced Systems Studies, Cal Poly Pomona. ~349 pp. With guest essays by Dr. Albert G. Wilson, Dr. Donna Wilson, Richard Britz. Glossary by Ruth M. Harmer. Contains 57 PSCs in 8 concept packets and 142 Linkage Propositions.
Linkage Propositions Between Fifty Principal Systems Concepts²¹
Troncale, L.R. (1978). In G.J. Klir (Ed.), Applied General Systems Research: Recent Developments and Trends, NATO Conference Series II: Systems Science, pp. 29–52. Plenum Press, New York. Coins structurprocess; introduces 11 PSC criteria.
Origins of Hierarchical Levels Through the Action of Systems Field Axioms †¹⁸
Troncale, L.R. (1972). Proceedings of the ISGSR 16th Annual Meeting, 35 pp. First published paper; presented 1971.
Towards a Formalization of Systems Linkage Propositions²³
Troncale, L.R. & Voorhees, B.H. (1983). Proceedings of the 1983 Annual Conference of the Society for General Systems Research, Detroit, MI, pp. 187–195. Proposes 7 formal representation techniques for LPs. Acknowledges Pask's entailment networks as precedent.
Duality/Complementarity As A General Systems Isomorphy †³⁸
Troncale, L.R. (1985). In B. Banathy (Ed.), Systems Inquiring: Vol. I. Theory Philosophy Methodology, pp. 186–199. Intersystems Publications, Seaside, CA.
Knowing Natural Systems Enables Better Design of Man-Made Systems: The Linkage Proposition Model †³⁹
Troncale, L.R. (1986). In R. Trappl (Ed.), Power, Utopia and Society: New Approaches to Complex Systems, pp. 43–80. Plenum Press, New York.
The New Field of Systems Pathology²⁵
Troncale, L.R. (2001). ISSS Annual Conference, Asilomar, Pacific Grove, CA, July 8–13. Abstract and presentation. First introduction of the Systems Pathology framework.
Towards A Science of Systems †⁴⁰
Troncale, L.R. (2006). Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Special Issue on J.G. Miller, 23(3): 301–321.
Would A Rigorous Knowledge Base in Systems Pathology Add Significantly to the SE Portfolio †⁴¹
Troncale, L.R. (2011). CSER'11 Proceedings, Conference on Systems Engineering Research, Redondo Beach, CA. 11 pp. Identifies cyberpathologies.
SPT V: Assessment of a Socio-Technical System Using Systems Process Theory and Systems Pathology²⁸
Gilbert, D. & Troncale, L.R. (2014). Proceedings of the 58th Annual Conference, ISSS, George Washington University, Washington, D.C. 20 pp. Case study: Thales UK.
Systems Processes Theory as Systems Science & General Systems Theory (4SPT as GST)³⁰
Troncale, L.R. (2017). ISSS Annual Conference. PowerPoint presentation, examined directly. Introduces ISP and PSM terminology; confirms ISSS President 1990.
110 Isomorphies Catalog³⁴
Troncale, L.R. Internal working document (.docx). Exactly 110 numbered items, from Adaptation Processes to Zipf's/Pareto's Relation as a Process.
The Self as a System of Processes⁴²
Troncale, L.R. Concept map in MindManager .mmap format. Application of SPT to human identity. Confirmed as a real file in the archive.
SP³T Pamphlet Series¹¹
Troncale, L.R. Planned 112 self-published pamphlets/monographs (30–60 pp. each), via Amazon/Kindle/PayPal at $2–$5. Described as "Lifework Legacy production." Scheduled for completion by end 2025. Some editions under pseudonym L.R. Constantino-Francona (LRCF).⁴³ Planned with Peter D. Tuddenham as online course collaborator.
References

Source Notes

Every factual claim on this page is keyed to a primary source verified directly against the original document during the March 2026 source audit. Sources are listed in order of first citation. † indicates verification via the references section of Gilbert & Troncale (2014).

  1. Birth year 1943, birth place Chicago, Illinois. Cal Poly Pomona obituary, April 2025. Verified directly.
  2. Death: April 24, 2025, Claremont, California. Cal Poly Pomona obituary, April 2025. Verified directly.
  3. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona): affiliation confirmed. Multiple primary sources including title pages of NEP (1978), NATO paper (1978), and Gilbert-Troncale (2014).
  4. ISSS President 1990 (served 1990–91). Troncale, L.R. (2017). 4SPT as GST, ISSS presentation, slide 1. Also confirmed in Gilbert-Troncale (2014).
  5. Framework evolution: SPT → SoSPT → SP³T (superscript 3, not plain "3"). Gilbert & Troncale (2014), p.5; Troncale (2017), 4SPT as GST, slide 1.
  6. Ph.D., Cell Biology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, 1970. Taught at Cal Poly Pomona from approximately 1970 through retirement ("four decades"). Cal Poly Pomona obituary, April 2025.
  7. 57 Principal Systems Concepts (PSCs). The NATO paper title says "Fifty" — this refers to the initial framing; the definitive count of 57 is confirmed in the NATO paper body and throughout subsequent literature. Troncale, L.R. (1978). NATO paper, pp. 29–52; Nature's Enduring Patterns OCR (nep_full_ocr.txt), table of contents verified directly.
  8. 142 Linkage Propositions (1978 baseline). This number grew to >200 by 2014. Troncale, L.R. (1978). NATO paper, pp. 29–52. Gilbert & Troncale (2014), p.5 for >200 figure.
  9. 110 Isomorphies total: confirmed as exactly 110 numbered items in the internal catalog. Troncale, L.R. 110 Isomorphies Catalog (.docx), verified directly by counting all numbered entries.
  10. SPT as empirical, evidence-based approach grounded in natural science, distinct from "vague analogies." Gilbert & Troncale (2014), p.2–3; Troncale (2017), 4SPT as GST, passim.
  11. 112 planned pamphlets. Description as "Lifework Legacy production." Scheduled completion: end 2025. Format: 30–60 pp. each, $2–$5 via Amazon/Kindle/PayPal. Troncale, L.R. Att_C_SP3T_Pamphlet_Series_Titles_List.docx, verified directly.
  12. 8 major concept packets in Nature's Enduring Patterns. Troncale, L.R. (1978). Nature's Enduring Patterns, table of contents (nep_full_ocr.txt), verified directly.
  13. Definition of Linkage Propositions as "formal semantic statements of how one PSC influences another." Troncale, L.R. (1978). NATO paper, p.29–52. Troncale & Voorhees (1983), p.187.
  14. Nature's Enduring Patterns (1978): ~349 pages, 57 PSCs in 8 concept packets, 142 LPs. Troncale, L.R. (1978). Nature's Enduring Patterns. Institute for Advanced Systems Studies, Cal Poly Pomona. Full OCR (nep_full_ocr.txt) verified directly.
  15. 11 criteria for PSC identification. Criteria include being sufficiently abstract to be common to all systems, yet specific enough to correspond to observable experience, process-oriented, transdisciplinary, phenomenologically based, etc. Troncale, L.R. (1978). NATO paper, pp. 29–52, verified directly in PDF.
  16. Term "Principal Systems Concepts" named at suggestion of Dr. Richard F. Ericson. Troncale, L.R. (1978). NATO paper acknowledgments, verified directly in PDF.
  17. Term "Linkage Propositions" suggested by Dr. Albert G. Wilson rather than Troncale's original "linkage theorems." Troncale, L.R. (1978). NATO paper acknowledgments, verified directly in PDF.
  18. First paper: Origins of Hierarchical Levels Through the Action of Systems Field Axioms (1972, ISGSR 16th Annual Meeting, 35 pp.). Presented 1971; active_years therefore begins 1971. Cited in Gilbert & Troncale (2014) references list, p.18–20. †
  19. Guest essayists: Dr. Albert G. Wilson, Dr. Donna Wilson, Richard Britz. Troncale, L.R. (1978). Nature's Enduring Patterns, title page (nep_full_ocr.txt), verified directly.
  20. Glossary compiled by Ruth M. Harmer from descriptions on pages 3–233. Troncale, L.R. (1978). Nature's Enduring Patterns, glossary section. Separate OCR (glossary_separate_ocr.txt), verified directly.
  21. NATO paper full citation: Troncale, L.R. (1978). "Linkage Propositions Between Fifty Principal Systems Concepts." In G.J. Klir (Ed.), Applied General Systems Research: Recent Developments and Trends. NATO Conference Series II: Systems Science, pp. 29–52. Plenum Press, New York. Verified directly in Original-SoSPT-Paper-NATO-1978.pdf. Cross-referenced in Gilbert & Troncale (2014) references.
  22. Term structurprocess coined in NATO paper (1978) to emphasize the unity of structure and process. Troncale, L.R. (1978). NATO paper, verified directly in PDF.
  23. Full citation: Troncale, L.R. & Voorhees, B.H. (1983). "Towards a Formalization of Systems Linkage Propositions." Proceedings of the 1983 Annual Conference of the Society for General Systems Research, Detroit, MI, pp. 187–195. Voorhees affiliation: Department of Mathematics, Athabasca University, Edmonton, Alberta. Math_and_SPT_Thru_LPs.pdf, verified directly.
  24. The 1983 paper presents a formalization strategy and 7 representation techniques but does not complete a full mathematical formalization. Citing this paper as evidence that LPs were "formalized mathematically" would misrepresent its scope. Troncale & Voorhees (1983), p.187–195. The title itself says "Towards a Formalization," not "A Formalization."
  25. Systems Pathology first presented at ISSS Annual Conference, Asilomar, Pacific Grove, California, July 8–13, 2001. Gilbert & Troncale (2014), p.5: "Systems Pathology was first presented at the annual conference of ISSS...in 2001." Reference: Troncale (2001b) in their list.
  26. Cyberpathologies: "more than a dozen" dysfunctional feedback architectures. Year: 2011 (CSER paper). Gilbert & Troncale (2014), p.12. Original paper: Troncale (2011), CSER'11 Proceedings.
  27. 2012 refinement: 110 → 40 core processes (SPT1); LPs exceed 200 (SPT2); cycling isomorphy proven across 52 case studies (SPT3). Gilbert & Troncale (2014), p.5, verified directly in PDF.
  28. Full citation: Gilbert, D. & Troncale, L.R. (2014). "SPT V: Assessment of a Socio-Technical System Using Systems Process Theory and Systems Pathology." Proceedings of the 58th Annual Conference, ISSS, George Washington University, Washington, D.C. 20 pp. Gilbert affiliation: The Systems Centre, University of Bristol. Gilbert-Troncale-ISSS14-Article.pdf, verified directly.
  29. ~100 combined ISSS/INCOSE papers by ~15 collaborators by 2014. Gilbert & Troncale (2014), p.3, verified directly in PDF.
  30. Full citation: Troncale, L.R. (2017). "Systems Processes Theory as Systems Science & General Systems Theory." ISSS Annual Conference presentation. PowerPoint examined directly (4SPT_as_GST_ISSS_17_90s_FINAL.pptx). Introduces ISP (Isomorphic Systems Process) and PSM (Principal Systems Mechanism) terminology. 4SPT_as_GST_ISSS_17_90s_FINAL.pptx, verified directly.
  31. ISP list ISP1–ISP23, plus exotic ISPs 24–30. ISP1 = Feedback (pamphlet 23). ISP15 = Interactions (not "Number Patterns" as in earlier versions — Number Patterns = ISP16–18). The original uncorrected thinker.json listed only 15 ISPs; the verified count is at least 23. Troncale, L.R. Att_C_SP3T_Pamphlet_Series_Titles_List.docx, verified directly. Corrections noted in thinker_cleaned.json verification_status.
  32. 15 spin-off topics. Earlier version of this page listed 6 spin-offs; corrected to 15 from primary source. Troncale, L.R. Att_C_SP3T_Pamphlet_Series_Titles_List.docx, verified directly.
  33. Online course with Peter D. Tuddenham listed as collaborator. Troncale, L.R. Att_C_SP3T_Pamphlet_Series_Titles_List.docx, verified directly.
  34. 110 Isomorphies Catalog: exactly 110 numbered items. Range: Adaptation Processes (1) to Zipf's/Pareto's Relation as a Process (110). Troncale, L.R. 110_isomorphies.docx, verified directly by counting all numbered entries.
  35. USSO (Unbroken Sequence of Systems Origins): term for the continuous chain from physical to living systems. Troncale, L.R. Math_and_SPT_Thru_LPs.pdf; Att_C_SP3T_Pamphlet_Series_Titles_List.docx (pamphlet 45: "USSO"), both verified directly.
  36. SysInformatics: 26 categories of information collected for each systems process. Gilbert & Troncale (2014), p.18, verified directly in PDF.
  37. Template Model: LP network visualized as directed graph, "self-guiding template." Troncale & Voorhees (1983). Math_and_SPT_Thru_LPs.pdf, verified directly.
  38. Full citation: Troncale, L.R. (1985). "Duality/Complementarity As A General Systems Isomorphy." In B. Banathy (Ed.), Systems Inquiring: Vol. I. Theory Philosophy Methodology, pp. 186–199. Intersystems Publications, Seaside, CA. Gilbert & Troncale (2014) references, †.
  39. Full citation: Troncale, L.R. (1986). "Knowing Natural Systems Enables Better Design of Man-Made Systems: The Linkage Proposition Model." In R. Trappl (Ed.), Power, Utopia and Society: New Approaches to Complex Systems, pp. 43–80. Plenum Press, New York. Gilbert & Troncale (2014) references, †.
  40. Full citation: Troncale, L.R. (2006). "Towards A Science of Systems." Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Special Issue on J.G. Miller, 23(3): 301–321. Gilbert & Troncale (2014) references, †.
  41. Full citation: Troncale, L.R. (2011). "Would A Rigorous Knowledge Base in Systems Pathology Add Significantly to the SE Portfolio." CSER'11 Proceedings, Conference on Systems Engineering Research, Redondo Beach, CA. 11 pp. Gilbert & Troncale (2014) references, †.
  42. The Self as a System of Processes: confirmed as a real file (MindManager .mmap format) in the Troncale archive. Not a fabricated title. The_Self_as_a_System_of_Processes.mmap, existence confirmed directly in archive.
  43. Pseudonym L.R. Constantino-Francona (LRCF) used for 35 personal essays: 3 memoir, 5 science-based, 9 systems-based, 10 socio-political, 6 spiritual/sacred. Troncale, L.R. Att_C_SP3T_Pamphlet_Series_Titles_List.docx, verified directly.