What is "systematics"

n. 1 (rfdef: English) 2 (context plurale tantum English) The science of systematic classification, especially of organisms. Depending on context this may be the same as taxonomy or distinct. In the latter case systematics will be taken to mean the research into the relationships of organisms, while taxonomy will involve itself in the recognition and the naming of taxa.

n. the science of systematic classification

Biological systematics is the study of the diversification of living forms, both past and present, and the relationships among living things through time. Relationships are visualized as evolutionary trees (synonyms: cladograms, phylogenetic trees, phylogenies). Phylogenies have two components, branching order (showing group relationships) and branch length (showing amount of evolution). Phylogenetic trees of species and higher taxa are used to study the evolution of traits (e.g., anatomical or molecular characteristics) and the distribution of organisms ( biogeography). Systematics, in other words, is used to understand the evolutionary history of life on Earth.

Systematics may mean:

• Systematics, the study of the diversity of organism characteristics.
• Systematics - study of multi-term systems, the study of the inherent properties of systems with varying number of terms - monad, dyad, triad, etc. - developed by John G. Bennett and others.
• Systematic Paris-Region, a French business cluster devoted to complex systems.
• Systematic theology, a discipline of Christian theology
• Systematics, Inc - a data processing company founded in 1968 by Arkansas superinvestor Jackson T. Stephens