Relative ordering criteria in open systems

Main concepts of a new interdisciplinary research area known as 'Physics of Open Systems' are introduced with special reference to a criterion for the relative degree of order in nonequilibrium states of such systems. Based on this criterion, the notion of the 'norm of chaos' ('norm of order') is proposed and used to differentiate between degradation and self-organization processes. The possibility of applying methods of open system physics to investigations in economics, sociology and physiology is briefly discussed.