SYSTEM COMPLEXITY: ITS CONCEPTION AND MEASUREMENT IN THE DESIGN OF ENGINEERING SYSTEMS

This paper presents a theory of system complexity and its illustrative application to changes in the aircraft designs. Four distinct contributions are offered. First, the proposed framework permits not only the measurement but also segregation of complexity into various components: those pertaining to organized, unorganized, short-term and long-term aspects of any given system's behavior. Second, the formulation permits grouping of variables on a priori grounds, thereby alleviating the problem posed by a large number of variables in systems analysis. Third, and more important, the formulation is capable of circumventing the problem of nonstationarity in the application of the tools of information theory. Fourth, a number of findings emerge from this study with important implications for the theory of evolutionary processes.

• Corporate Authors:

  Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

  3 Park Avenue, 17th Floor
  New York, NY  United States  10016-5997
• Authors:
  • Sahal, D
• Publication Date: 1976-6

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 440-45
• Serial:
  • IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetics
  • Issue Number: 6
  • Publisher: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aircraft; Complex variables; Design; Measurement; System design; Systems engineering; Vehicle design
• Uncontrolled Terms: Aircraft design
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Design; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00152859
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Engineering Index
• Report/Paper Numbers: VSMC-6
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 31 1977 12:00AM