Structural Models of Technology Assessment

This study is concerned with the hitherto neglected subject of growth of man-made systems. The phenomenon of growth is regarded here as that of change in structure, a process very different from that of additions to, and subtractions from an aggregate. A general principle is proposed that any system during its growth would attempt to preserve self-similarity in terms of its law-like aspects. This has led to a very simple formulation of structural growth. A number of models of the same general type as the basic formulation are proposed and applied to the illustrative case of nuclear technology. Other than its implications for technology assessment, the findings of this study indicate that the size of a system is important in determining its properties.