Research Challenges for Systems-of-Systems

Collaborative assemblages, systems-of-systems in the terms of the conference, pose specific challenges for design and development. These challenges are distinct from those of conventional systems, and have received relatively little research attention. These challenges are relatively clearly demonstrated in looking at example systems of current interest. The principle challenges are in joint design of social and technical equilibria, description and analysis of upper layer structures (as distinct from the bulk of network description and analysis methods), architectures as invariant elements, and sequential decision making on technology and system roadmaps with large uncertainty.