In general, the term ‘complexity’ is used to characterize something with many parts in an intricate arrangement. In the context of CPSs, we can differentiate five types of complexities: (i) static complexity (the number and relationships of components that do not change with time), (ii) dynamic complexity (the number and relationships of components that change with time), (iii) self-organizing complexity (open systems reorganize themselves to different systems), (iv) evolving complexity (open systems evolve through time into different systems) and (v) co-evolving complexity (two-way interplay between the changing system and its environment). When all these types and forms of complexities are present, we talk about aggregative complexity.
The word complexity - it has so many meaning try http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complexity to start with. A good many years ago I tried to promote a somewhat simplistic view of complexity (within GEC) . I wanted to take the concept of granularity into account so I define a complexity caused by increasing size of a domain and also complexity caused by resolving (inner detail and finer interactions. ) One of the key observations was the complexity belongs to the domain of modelling. It happens when we try to build models. This suggests that complexity is a property of models not a property of observable reality. Remember all I understanding is based on various levels of modelling. That said, we can regard complexity as a consequence of using symbols, language, diagrams, data etc. This leads to a different view from those that use complexity defined in terms of time ( polynomial time etc)
I don' t have the academic clout to publish papers on this (although I am trying to write one now) . Mostly because I have had to go back to industry where priorities are very different. Besides the ideas above. The following additional ideas were included: concept of a complexity contour in a domain size versus resolution graph. The idea of the contours defining limits of both individual intelligence and coordinate (organised - group enterprises). A possible but rather elusive link with the strange empirical observations known by a distribution (ZIPFs law). And a way of thinking about the overheads in projects produced by organisations rather than individuals.
The terms Aggregation, association, resolution or granularity all play a part simply because of the nature of symbolic products (data, numbers, words etc) used in a simple model of complexity.
And there is one more vital ingredient: we live in a temporal universe but model using static forms. Thus the nature of data is spatial and representation of a time series becomes a sequence of samples. For me complexity is a spatial phenomenon
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Engineering
- Computer Engineering