Operads for Designing Systems of Systems

TL;DR

This paper introduces network operads as a novel formalism for designing and managing complex systems of systems, enabling flexible abstraction and tasking in domains like maritime rescue.

Contribution

It develops the concept of network operads for system-of-systems engineering, providing a new mathematical framework for design and tasking.

Findings

Network operads facilitate handling changing abstraction levels.

Application to maritime search and rescue demonstrates practical utility.

Provides a formalism for flexible system-of-systems design.

Abstract

System of systems engineering seeks to analyze, design and deploy collections of systems that together can flexibly address an array of complex tasks. In the Complex Adaptive System Composition and Design Environment program, we developed "network operads" as a tool for designing and tasking systems of systems, and applied them to domains including maritime search and rescue. The network operad formalism offers new ways to handle changing levels of abstraction in system-of-system design and tasking.