Complex Systems Workshops

Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta GA

Investigators

Abstract

FUNDAMENTALS OF COMPLEX ENGINEERED, ORGANIZATIONAL AND NATURAL SYSTEMS It is proposed that a Workshop on Complex Systems be conducted to evaluate the various schools of thought on the topic of complex systems and reach consensus on terminology, concepts, and the nature of underlying fundamental issues. The workshop will bring together a carefully selected group of top experts on complex systems from a broad base of disciplines. It is expected that 65-75% of participants will be drawn from a broad base of engineering disciplines and 25-35% of participants will come from other disciplines working in complex systems. While most people will come from academia, selected participants will be recruited from industry and government. These experts, as well as other participants from various agencies, will both educate each other and help design the themes and content of the subsequent related activities. These outcomes will be detailed in a workshop report. The workshop will be conducted in Washington, DC to maximize opportunities for participation from NSF and other agencies. Examples of complexity in systems - including engineered, organizational and natural systems -- include ecosystems, the worldwide web, metabolic pathways, economic markets, spread of epidemics, and the nation's power grid. With such systems, decomposition and analysis of subsystems does not necessarily explain the behavior of the whole. Complex systems can display emergent behaviors, where they provide organization without intentionally designed-in organizing principles. There is a maturation and convergence, from many different fields of inquiry, of ideas relevant to complex systems and system engineering, for natural and engineered systems. We seek common principles, and unifying theories, as well as methods to analyze and synthesize such systems. Fundamental understanding of complex systems has the potential to explain and predict system behaviors, better engineer the design of these systems, and enable robust control of system responses. Such fundamental knowledge and skills will facilitate, for example, managing our environment for future generations, building infrastructure systems (e.g., power, transportation and information networks) that are not brittle and prone to collapse, developing systems to produce and deliver clean and abundant energy, and understanding and managing our vast global financial markets.