The nature of change or the law of unintended consequences [electronic resource] : an introductory text to designing complex systems and managing change / John Mansfield.
by
 
Mansfield, John.

ISBN
9781848165410

Title
The nature of change or the law of unintended consequences [electronic resource] : an introductory text to designing complex systems and managing change / John Mansfield.

Author
Mansfield, John.

Personal Author
Mansfield, John.

Publication Information
London : Imperial College Press ; Singapore ; Hackensack, NJ : Distributed by World Scientific Pub., ©2010.

Physical Description
1 online resource (xv, 196 pages) : illustrations

Contents
Ch. 1. What do we mean by change? The study of change -- ch. 2. Some definitions. Natural systems. Artificial systems. Social systems. Technical systems. Socio-technical systems. A system. Complicated system. Complex system. A Component's environment. Co-evolutionary systems. Thresholds. Propagation. Initial conditions. Design space -- ch. 3. Failure by design. Socio-technical design failure -- ch. 4. Influence, boundaries and structure. Examples. Influence. Boundaries. Organisation or network structure. Regular networks. Random networks. Small-world networks. Layered and hierarchic aspects. Systems have a past and a future. Layers of change -- ch. 5. Change in complex systems. Fitness and change. Change in an N-dimensional design space. The co-evolutionary process. The threshold. Resistance to change -- ch. 6. Propagation. The temporal effect. An illustration of propagation in a model -- ch. 7. Modelling and modelling mechanisms. Models. Computer-based models. Aspects of model design. Coupling. Cumulative effect. Structural change. Mechanisms. Cellular automata. Simultaneous change. Subsequent changes. Feedback. Agent-based models -- ch. 8. Simulation. The SeeChange program and the system structure. A "cellular automata" application of SeeChange. Small-world application of SeeChange. Applying SeeChange to a business model. Comparison of SeeChange with commercial tools. Insight and understanding of system behaviour. Insight into interaction with complex systems -- ch. 9. What do we do when a change is indicated? Messes, problems and puzzles. Design by increments. Forecasting -- ch. 10. Implementing a system. Early architectures. Mutability. The crucial role of time. Design of computer-based systems. Design strategy -- ch. 11. Real-world change : EUREKA class. Aspects of the change process on a ship. EUREKA simple simulation. Independent changes. Impact analysis. A model of change on a EUREKA ship. A SeeChange model of changes to a ship. Physical model. Structure of the SeeChange model system -- ch. 12. Real-world change : climate. Climate variables. Climate data. Climate models. Simulation of climate models -- ch. 13. In the future. Surprise is always the result of change, accept it.

Local Note
eBooks on EBSCOhost

Subject Term
Computational complexity.
 
Change.

Format
Electronic Resources

Electronic Access
Click here to view

Publication Date
2010

Publication Information
London : Imperial College Press ; Singapore ; Hackensack, NJ : Distributed by World Scientific Pub., ©2010.


Shelf NumberMaterial TypeCopyShelf LocationStatus
003.7 221:E-BOOK11:ONLINEAvailable for online access and/or download