Simplifying the Complex: Modeling and Analysis for System Design and Management

Dear Colleagues,

The complexity of modern-day systems is increasing at a rapid pace. Managing their overwhelming amount of complexity in a constructive and positive way is a necessity. Accordingly, developing tools, methods, and models of complexity is a moral imperative for the scientific community. This is, however, a very broad objective that finds its meaning in specific contexts. The context of this Special Issue is system design and management. Broadly, system design involves modeling, analysis, synthesis, and optimization. Complexity is present in each of these stages, which require specific methods for managing the objective and subjective complexities of these processes. Novel statistical–dynamical models of complexity can assist in simplifying subjective complexities and providing simple descriptions that can be used as heuristics to understand and manage systems, albeit in limited contexts and scopes.

This Special Issue invites scientific contributions proposing new innovative and original approaches for modeling complexity for a better and more simplified understanding of systems for the purpose of the design and management of such systems. The call especially targets advancements in research and practices in the field of complexity management, complexity modeling, and heuristics for the management of complexity, particularly in a design context. This Special Issue aims to provide an opportunity for academics and systems engineering practitioners to share their theoretical and practical knowledge as well as their findings in the field, with the aim of disseminating novel and state-of-the-art ideas. This Special Issue particularly looks forward to articles presenting, among other aspects:

• Mathematical models of complexity, including network-oriented, dynamical, statistical, and mixed-model models.
• Models of design processes with a particular emphasis on complexity management.
• Complexity management tools and methodologies in design and systems engineering contexts.
• Complex, interacting, and conflicting issues in design and management, such as the interaction of various system -ilities, such as affordability, flexibility, evolvability, resilience, etc.
• Mathematical models of systems utility that tackle issues such as function–size trade-off.
• Application of artificial intelligence in simplifying design and management complexity.
• Decision simplification in the design and management of complex systems.

Dr. Mahmoud Efatmaneshnik
Dr. Shraga Shoval
Dr. Larissa Statsenko
Guest Editors

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