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A hierarchy (from the Greek ἱεραρχία ''hierarchia'', "rule of a high priest", from ἱεράρχης ''hierarkhes'', "leader of sacred rites") is an arrangement of items (objects, names, values, categories, etc.) in which the items are represented as being "above," "below," or "at the same level as" one another. A hierarchy () can link entities either directly or indirectly, and either vertically or diagonally. The only direct links in a hierarchy, insofar as they are hierarchical, are to one's immediate superior or to one of one's subordinates, although a system that is largely hierarchical can also incorporate alternative hierarchies. Indirect hierarchical links can extend "vertically" upwards or downwards via multiple links in the same direction, following a path. All parts of the hierarchy which are not linked vertically to one another nevertheless can be "horizontally" linked through a path by traveling up the hierarchy to find a common direct or indirect superior, and then down again. This is akin to two co-workers or colleagues; each reports to a common superior, but they have the same relative amount of authority. Organizational forms exist that are both alternative and complementary to hierarchy. Heterarchy (sometimes abbreviated HT) is one such form. ==Nomenclature== Hierarchies have their own special vocabulary. These terms are easiest to understand when a hierarchy is diagrammed (see below). In an organizational context, the following terms are often used related to hierarchies:〔〔 * Object: one entity (e.g., a person, department or concept or element of arrangement or member of a set * System: the entire set of objects that are being arranged hierarchically (e.g., an administration) * Dimension: another word for "system" from on-line analytical processing (e.g. cubes) * Member: an (element or object) in a (system or dimension) at any (level or rank) * Rank: the relative value, worth, complexity, power, importance, authority, level etc. of an object * Level: a set of objects with the same rank OR importance * Ordering: the arrangement of the (ranks or levels) * Hierarchy: the arrangement of a particular set of (ranks or levels) i.e. multiple hierarchies are possible per (dimension or system) * Collection: all of the objects at one level * Superior: a higher level or an object ranked at a higher level (parent or ancestor) * Subordinate: a lower level or an object ranked at a lower level (child or descendent) * Hierarch, the top level of the hierarchy, usually consisting of one object or member of a dimension * Peer: an object with the same rank (and therefore at the same level) * Neighbour: the adjacent level/ranking (the immediate superior and immediate inferior) * Interaction: the relationship between an object and its direct superior or subordinate (i.e. a superior/inferior pair) * * a direct interaction occurs when one object is on a level exactly one higher or one lower than the other (i.e., on a tree, the two objects have a line between them) * Distance: the minimum number of connections between two objects, i.e., one less than the number of objects that need to be "crossed" to trace a path from one object to another * Span: a qualitative description of the width of a level when diagrammed, i.e., the number of subordinates an object has In a mathematical context (in graph theory), the general terminology used is different. Most hierarchies use a more specific vocabulary pertaining to their subject, but the idea behind them is the same. For example, with data structures, objects are known as nodes, superiors are called parents and subordinates are called children. In a business setting, a superior is a supervisor/boss and a peer is a colleague. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「hierarchy」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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