some notes on minimum inventory / maximum diversity systems by peter pearce

"Systems can be envisaged which consist of some minimum inventory of component types which can be alternatively combined to yield a great diversity of efficient structural form.

the rubrics [..] lead to a maximization of different, though generically related structural forms.

One characteristic of successful systems will be that the rubrics -the rules of assemblage- and the physical components themselves will be seen to be organically related: the rules will be seen to grow out of the parts, the parts out of the rules.

The form of any structure is determined by the interaction of two fundamental classes of forces: intrinsic forces and extrinsic forces. Intrinsic forces are those governing factors inherent in any structural system; that is, the internal properties of a system which govern the possible arrangements and its potential performance. Extrinsic forces are those governing influences which are external to any particular structural system. They are the inventory of factors, largely environmental, which give direction to the form options allowed by the inherent combinatorial or form-giving properties of a given structural system. [...] All forms in nature are determined by the interaction of intrinsic with extrinsic forces"

p.s.: the three missing pages in the article by peter pearce can be found here 

soap bubbles, cracked mud, the veins of a leaf and the wing of dragon flies all demonstrate the principle of arrangements with the least effort, minimum inventory and maximum diversity (images from http://www.pjpearcedesign.com/ )