Framework to investigate emergence in system engineering

Abstract

System Engineering is the process of identifying, implementing and maintaining solutions to real world problems. Some problems tend to be messy with no single solution or set of effective and accurate requirements, often resulting in implementation failure. Emergence is a characteristic of complex systems and occurs when multitudes of elements interact with each other and the environment to give rise to behavior at a higher level that could not easily be deduced. This paper proposes a framework for identifying and investigating emergent behavior as part of the Complex System Engineering process through modeling and simulation.