InteSys Ltd

InteSys Ltd, solutions for computer modelling and simulation of complex systems, using principles of emergence and complexity

A possible justification for the proposal: The traditional design method, based on conventional maths, does not have a theoretical possibility for a thorough search of the state space of the system, leaving many features of the systems open ended and prone to failure. The size of the state space is D = S^N, where S is the number of states of each system component, and N the number of system components. A very simple system consisting of 10 components interacting in 10 different ways has the state space of 10,000,000,000. A designer using conventional tools simply does not have the time to search the entire state space. Natural systems have developed various emergent methods for searching the sate space of the system. For instance, social insects such as termites and wasps use co-ordinated algorithms to build their nests by communicating through the environment and observing some simple rules. Investigation of how co-ordinated algorithms and other emergent methods can be used to improve design methods would lead to a change of culture in design, and to systems which are more robust and less prone to failure.

Although I understand that we may need to prioritise on industrial design, I think that it is very important to consider biochemical design, and in particular design of long molecular chains (polymers), using monomers (simpler molecules) as building blocks. Human health can be improved considerably on the basis of better methods for tissue engineering. Consider growing organs rather than transplanting them, or growing lost limbs. Applying emergent methods to design of polymers would take us a step closer to tissue design.

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