Complex Systems + Systems Engineering = Complex Systems Engineeri

One may define a complex system as a system in which phenomena emerge as a consequence of multiscale interaction among the system's components and their environments. The field of Complex Systems is the study of such systems--usually naturally occurring, either bio-logical or social. Systems Engineering may be understood to include the conceptualising and building of systems that consist of a large number of concurrently operating and interacting components--usually including both human and non-human elements. It has become increasingly apparent that the kinds of systems that systems engineers build have many of the same multiscale characteristics as those of naturally occurring complex systems. In other words, systems engineering is the engineering of complex systems. This paper and the associated panel will explore some of the connections between the fields of complex systems and systems engineering.