摘要:
HIERARCHY
Hierarchy, originated from an ancient Greek word'εραρχα', is a property characterized by the arrangement of a set of individual items [1] that are placed 'above','below'or'at the same level as' one another in different systems.These items can be physical matter such as atoms, molecules, particles, objects, etc., or can be abstract and intangible entities such as names, values, categories, etc.Hierarchy, although we are not consciously aware of its existence, is an essential concept in a wide variety of fields, such as life science, materials science, computer science, philosophy, mathematics, physics,chemistry, biology, geography, topography, organizational theory, systems theory, architecture, urban construction, industrial processes and the social sciences.