Dissipative structures (DS) exist at all scales, systems, and at different levels of complexity. A thermodynamic theory integrating simple and complex DS is introduced, which addresses existence of growing/decaying DS based on their entropy analysis. Two entropy-based dimensionless ratios are introduced, which explain negentropy-debt payment and existence of DS with growth or decay. It is shown that excess negentropy debt payment is needed and beneficial for growing DS; but for decaying DS, it hastens its approach to perish and is counter-productive. Growing complex DS tend to pay lower negentropy debt to their surroundings, due to involvement in other activities enabled by complexity; e.g. mediation for survival that is linked to their mortality. Hence, disorder of complex DS increases, due to which, their growth can be un-sustained, leading to entry in decay-phase in spite of availability of adequate mass-energy in-flows. Proper handling or reduction of complexity enables growth in the direction of ideal growth (without increase in disorder of DS), which is limited only by availability of adequate mass-energy in-flows.

耗散结构 (DS) 存在于所有规模、系统和不同复杂程度。介绍了一种整合简单和复杂 DS 的热力学理论，该理论基于它们的熵分析解决了增长/衰减 DS 的存在。引入了两个基于熵的无量纲比率，它们解释了负熵债务支付和 DS 存在增长或衰减。结果表明，需要支付额外的负熵债务，并且有利于DS的增长；但对于衰败的DS，它会加速走向灭亡，并适得其反。由于参与由复杂性促成的其他活动，日益复杂的 DS 倾向于向周围环境支付较低的负熵债务；例如，与死亡率相关的生存调解。因此，复杂 DS 的紊乱增加，因此，它们的生长可能无法持续，尽管有足够的质量能量流入，但仍会导致进入衰变阶段。适当处理或降低复杂性可以使增长朝着理想增长的方向发展（不会增加 DS 的无序），这仅受足够质量能量流入的可用性的限制。