Organization and Pedagogy of Complexity

Jacques Printz is an Associate Professor at the Université Catholique de Lille (Chair of "Ethics, Technology and Humanism") and a member of the ETHICS laboratory, France. He is also an Emeritus Professor of the Cnam, France, where he was Chair of Software Engineering until 2009.

• Preface ixPart 1 The Organic Component of Systems 1Introduction to Part 1 3Chapter 1 Elements of Systemics: Systems Architecture 51.1 Introduction 51.2 Systemic definition of a system 71.2.1 From real systems to formal systems 71.2.2 Definition of a system 71.2.3 Integration of systems 91.3 Organization of a systemic model 121.3.1 Architectural visions of a system 121.3.2 Properties of a system 171.3.3 Descriptions of a system 181.3.4 Reference framework for system analysis 201.4 Architecture of a system 221.4.1 Systemic perspective of the systems architecture process 221.4.2 Architectural perspectives of the systems architecture process 231.5 In conclusion 25Chapter 2 Natural Functions 292.1 The notion of energetic transducers, revisited 292.2 Some fundamental transducers 342.2.1 Example of an adder circuit with CMOS technology 40Chapter 3 Emergent Properties: System Integration 473.1 Integration 473.2 The stack structure and its constructive logic 543.2.1 Correctly interpreting events 593.2.2 The epistemological lesson of the computer stack 613.3 Milestones from the history of computer stack development 673.3.1 Digression on interface engineering costs 693.3.2 Observing the nano-world 743.4 Moore's "law": a structure for integration 77Part 2 A Complex World 87Introduction to Part 2 89Chapter 4 Phenomenology of Complexity 914.1 Drive and control in a complex environment 924.2 Communicating in a complex environment 934.3 The four dimensions of complexity 964.4 Measuring complexity 984.4.1 On Richard Feynman's intuition 1004.5 Counting 102Chapter 5 The Roots of Complexity: Inaccessible Numbers 1055.1 The provenance of inaccessible numbers 1055.2 Typology of inaccessible numbers 1075.2.1 Quantum interlude: statistical physics 1145.3 Familiar numbers 1165.4 The library of Babel 1205.5 Inaccessible numbers of the third infinity: information sciences 1225.5.1 The numbers of software engineers 1235.5.2 The numbers of the genome 127Chapter 6 Walking through Complexity 1336.1 The example of the computer stack 1336.1.1 Chance and inaccessible numbers 1396.2 The organized objects of the 3rd infinity 1456.2.1 Engineering hazard 1466.3 Facing the immensity of the infinitely complex 1556.4 Testimonials: another look at the interface stack 1636.4.1 Harthong, Feynman, von Neumann and Turing 1636.4.2 Internal language, external language, according to von Neumann 1686.4.3 Imbrication of stack languages 170Part 3 Examples of Systemics and Complexity 179Introduction to Part 3 181Chapter 7 Systemic Aspects of the French Electrical System 1837.1 Growth: the "life" of an electrical system and its end 1877.2 Interoperability and cooperation 1957.3 Resilience 1997.4 Computerization and organization 2047.5 Future problems 2107.5.1 Renewable energy and the optimization of the network at the European level 2117.5.2 Domestic photovoltaics 2147.5.3 Europeanizing the network: the problem of governance 2147.6 Conclusion 217Chapter 8 Systemic Aspects of Project Systems 2218.1 The science of projects 2218.2 Control 2248.2.1 Project size 2248.2.2 The dynamics of relations: pairings 2288.2.3 Human complexity 2298.3 Volume of information exchanges in projects 2328.3.1 Interoperability {U, S, E} 2328.3.2 Detecting, monitoring and fixing errors 2388.3.3 The systemic lesson of projects 246Conclusion 249List of Acronyms 273References 279Index 281