Exemplars

Game Example of the Law of Requisite Variety:

"Let V_D be the variety [of plays] of [player] D, V_R that of [player] R, and V₀ that of the outcome (all measured logarithmically). Then the previous section has proved that V₀ cannot be less, numerically, than the value of V_D - V_R. Thus, V₀'s minimum is V_D - V_R.

If V_D is given and fixed, V_D - V_R can be lessened only by a corresponding increase in V_R. Thus the variety in the outcome, if minimal, can be decreased further only by a corresponding increase in that of R.

This is the Law of Requisite Variety....: only variety can destroy variety." ¹⁵