Goldberg system

Key takeaways

Goldberg system belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Goldberg system to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Goldberg system from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A system of plant taxonomy, the Goldberg system was published in:

Goldberg (1986). "Classification, Evolution and Phylogeny of the Families of Dicotyledons". Smithsonian Contributions to Botany. 58: 1–314. Goldberg (1989). "Classification, Evolution and Phylogeny of the Families of Monocotyledons". Smithsonian Contributions to Botany. 71: 1–73. Aaron Goldberg treats the Angiosperms, in which he recognizes 334 families and 59 orders of dicotyledons and accept 57 families and 18 orders of monocotyledons:

Dicotyledoneae Classis Dicotyledoneae Ordo Trochodendrales Tetracentraceae Trochodendraceae Eupteleaceae Cercidiphyllaceae Ordo Hamamelidales Platanaceae Hamamelidaceae Buxaceae Myrothamnaceae Daphniphyllaceae Didymelaceae Ordo Magnoliales Magnoliaceae Degeneriaceae Himantandraceae Winteraceae Annonaceae Eupomatiaceae Myristicaceae Canellaceae Schisandraceae Illiciaceae Austrobaileyaceae Trimeniaceae Amborellaceae Monimiaceae Calycanthaceae Idiospermaceae (now part of Calycanthaceae) Ordo Laurales Gomortegaceae Lauraceae Hernandiaceae Ordo Aristolochiales Aristolochiaceae Ordo Ranunculales Ranunculaceae Berberidaceae Sargentodoxaceae Lardizabalaceae Menispermaceae Nandinaceae Podophyllaceae Paeoniaceae Circaeasteraceae Ordo Haloragales Haloragaceae Gunneraceae Hippuridaceae Callitrichaceae Ordo Sarraceniales Sarraceniaceae Ordo Nepenthales Nepenthaceae Ordo Piperales Saururaceae Piperaceae Chloranthaceae Lactoridaceae Ordo Nymphaeales Nymphaeaceae Ceratophyllaceae Cabombaceae Nelumbonaceae Ordo Proteales Proteaceae Ordo Balanopales Balanopaceae Ordo Fagales Betulaceae Fagaceae Simmondsiaceae Leitneriaceae Myricaceae Juglandaceae Rhoipteleaceae Ordo Salicales Salicaceae Ordo Casuarinales Casuarinaceae Ordo Urticales Ulmaceae Moraceae Urticaceae Eucommiaceae Barbeyaceae Cannabaceae Ordo Fabales Fabaceae Mimosaceae Caesalpiniaceae Ordo Papaverales Papaveraceae Fumariaceae Capparaceae Brassicaceae Tovariaceae Resedaceae Moringaceae Pentadiplandraceae Bretschneideraceae Ordo Batales Bataceae Ordo Dilleniales Dilleniaceae Actinidiaceae Saurauiaceae Ordo Theales Theaceae Pentaphylacaceae Bonnetiaceae Pellicieraceae Medusagynaceae Eucryphiaceae Paracryphiaceae Symplocaceae Clusiaceae Tetrameristaceae Quiinaceae Hypericaceae Elatinaceae Dipterocarpaceae Ancistrocladaceae Caryocaraceae Marcgraviaceae Ochnaceae Strasburgeriaceae Diegodendraceae Sphaerosepalaceae Scytopetalaceae Sarcolaenaceae Ordo Ebenales Sapotaceae Ebenaceae Ordo Styracales Styracaceae Lissocarpaceae Alangiaceae Ordo Violales Flacourtiaceae Lacistemataceae Malesherbiaceae Passifloraceae Turneraceae Achariaceae Caricaceae Violaceae Stachyuraceae Scyphostegiaceae Peridiscaceae Hoplestigmataceae Loasaceae Cucurbitaceae Ordo Cistales Cistaceae Bixaceae Cochlospermaceae Ordo Ericales Clethraceae Pyrolaceae Ericaceae Empetraceae Monotropaceae Epacridaceae Diapensiaceae Cyrillaceae Lennoaceae Ordo Rafflesiales Rafflesiaceae Hydnoraceae Ordo Balanophorales Balanophoraceae Ordo Celastrales Ctenolophonaceae Ixonanthaceae Irvingiaceae Dichapetalaceae Celastraceae Goupiaceae Siphonodontaceae Ordo Rhamnales Rhamnaceae Vitaceae Leeaceae Erythropalaceae Aquifoliaceae Icacinaceae Ordo Caryophyllales Cactaceae Aizoaceae Portulacaceae Theligonaceae Didiereaceae Gyrostemonaceae Phytolaccaceae Barbeuiaceae Achatocarpaceae Petiveriaceae Agdestidaceae Nyctaginaceae Stegnospermaceae Caryophyllaceae Molluginaceae Illecebraceae Basellaceae Chenopodiaceae Amaranthaceae Ordo Primulales Theophrastaceae Myrsinaceae Primulaceae Plumbaginaceae Tamaricaceae Frankeniaceae Ordo Polygonales Polygonaceae Ordo Plantaginales Plantaginaceae Ordo Euphorbiales Euphorbiaceae Aextoxicaceae Pandaceae Ordo Malvales Elaeocarpaceae Tiliaceae Malvaceae Bombacaceae Sterculiaceae Ordo Rosales Rosaceae Corynocarpaceae Crossosomataceae Neuradaceae Coriariaceae Ordo Myrtales Myrtaceae Lecythidaceae Barringtoniaceae Asteranthaceae Dialypetalanthaceae Sonneratiaceae Punicaceae Rhizophoraceae Lythraceae Crypteroniaceae Oliniaceae Melastomataceae Trapaceae Combretaceae Onagraceae Penaeaceae Ordo Saxifragales Saxifragaceae Crassulaceae Parnassiaceae Eremosynaceae Francoaceae Davidsoniaceae Hydrangeaceae Philadelphaceae Pterostemonaceae Iteaceae Baueraceae Bruniaceae Vahliaceae Donatiaceae Tetracarpaeaceae Escalloniaceae Grossulariaceae Brunelliaceae Cunoniaceae Greyiaceae Cephalotaceae Ordo Droserales Dioncophyllaceae Droseraceae Byblidaceae Podostemaceae Hydrostachyaceae Ordo Begoniales Datiscaceae Begoniaceae Ordo Apiales Araliaceae Apiaceae Ordo Cornales Nyssaceae Davidiaceae Cornaceae Garryaceae Ordo Dipsacales Caprifoliaceae Adoxaceae Valerianaceae Dipsacaceae Ordo Rutales Rutaceae Cneoraceae Simaroubaceae Burseraceae Meliaceae Anacardiaceae Ordo Sapindales Akaniaceae Aceraceae Sapindaceae Hippocastanaceae Staphyleaceae Sabiaceae Melianthaceae Ordo Geraniales Geraniaceae Vivianiaceae Limnanthaceae Oxalidaceae Tropaeolaceae Connaraceae Balsaminaceae Stackhousiaceae Zygophyllaceae Linaceae Erythroxylaceae Balanitaceae Malpighiaceae Ordo Polygalales Polygalaceae Krameriaceae Trigoniaceae Vochysiaceae Ordo Oleales Oleaceae Salvadoraceae Ordo Gentianales Loganiaceae Plocospermataceae Apocynaceae Asclepiadaceae Convolvulaceae Cuscutaceae Rubiaceae Columelliaceae Gentianaceae Menyanthaceae Ordo Santalales Olacaceae Aptandraceae Octoknemaceae Opiliaceae Medusandraceae Cardiopteridaceae Santalaceae Misodendraceae Loranthaceae Grubbiaceae Ordo Thymelaeales Geissolomataceae Gonystylaceae Thymelaeaceae Ordo Polemoniales Polemoniaceae Fouquieriaceae Hydrophyllaceae Boraginaceae Ordo Scrophulariales Nolanaceae Solanaceae Scrophulariaceae Buddlejaceae Globulariaceae Lentibulariaceae Orobanchaceae Acanthaceae Bignoniaceae Gesneriaceae Pedaliaceae Ordo Lamiales Myoporaceae Verbenaceae Phrymaceae Lamiaceae Ordo Campanulales Campanulaceae Goodeniaceae Brunoniaceae Calyceraceae Stylidiaceae Ordo Asterales Asteraceae Incertae sedis Tremandraceae Elaeagnaceae Pittosporaceae

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Goldberg system

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Goldberg system claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Goldberg system before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Goldberg system ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Goldberg system

In research: Goldberg system appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Goldberg system in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Goldberg system is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Systems of plant taxonomy, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Goldberg system outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Goldberg system in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Goldberg system means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Goldberg system out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Goldberg system in simple terms?

A system of plant taxonomy, the Goldberg system was published in: Goldberg (1986). "Classification, Evolution and Phylogeny of the Families of Dicotyledons". Smithsonian Contributions to Botany. 58: 1–314.

Why does Goldberg system matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Goldberg system?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Goldberg system.