ABSTRACT
This chapter suggests that an appropriate test of the robustness of immune system network regulatory models. The science of immune system network theory can be logically broken down into two main subdisciplines, called network statics and network dynamics. Network statics refers to the study of the stable states of the system. One might confidently predict that a complete mathematical model of the dynamic aspects of the symmetrical network theory could be shown to exhibit oscillations for appropriately chosen parameter values. An acceptable network model would have to have a stable virgin state with a very wide range of specificities represented, and also stable immune and suppressed states for each antigenic specificity. The idea is that the symmetrical network theory gains support not only from the wealth of diverse data it rationalizes, but also from the fact that other models generally lack even the most basic stability characteristics, which an acceptable model must have.
