Complexity is a central problem in modern system theory and practice.
Because of our intensive and limitless desire to build and to control ever
larger and more sophisticated systems, the orthodox concept of a high
performance system driven by a central computer has become obsolete. New
emerging notions are subsystems, interconnections, distributed computing,
neural networks, parallel processing, and automated factories, to mention
a few. It is becoming apparent that a “well-organized complexity” is the
way of the future.
The notion of complexity is used broadly, in widely different contexts,
and often with subjective connotations. A great deal of our research in
modeling and control of complex systems indicates that the fundamental
characteristics of complexity are dimensionality, uncertainty, and information
structure constraints. For us, these three features will be of overriding
concern and will serve as major motivating factors for development of decentralized
control theory for complex systems.