Complex System Classification
Name
INCOSEComplex System Classification.doc
Size
418.5 KB
Format
Microsoft Word
Checksum (MD5)
a01de0437086cff9b708d1deca09169b
Author(s)
Magee, Christopher
de Weck, Olivier
Date Issued
July 24, 2004
Publisher
International Council On Systems Engineering (INCOSE)
Abstract
The use of terms such as “Engineering Systems”, “System of systems” and others have been coming into greater use over the past decade to denote systems of importance but with implied higher complexity than for the term systems alone. This paper searches for a useful taxonomy or classification scheme for complex Systems. There are two aspects to this problem: 1) distinguishing between Engineering Systems (the term we use) and other Systems, and 2) differentiating among Engineering Systems. Engineering Systems are found to be differentiated from other complex systems by being human-designed and having both significant human complexity as well as significant technical complexity. As far as differentiating among various engineering systems, it is suggested that functional type is the most useful attribute for classification differentiation. Information, energy, value and mass acted upon by various processes are the foundation concepts underlying the technical types.
Subjects
Engineering Systems
System of systems
classification
complex Systems
System
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Center for Innovation in Product Development
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