Enhancing structural robustness by complexity maximisation

Structural robustness is considered a fundamental prerequisite in the design of structures. In particular, attention has to be paid to events that are unforecastable and with no known magnitude. Referring to an idea by Donald Rumsfeld, these are unknown unknowns. Among all the possible strategies for ensuring robustness, alternating the load paths on the structures may represent a feasible design solution. Structural complexity is a novel metrics for measuring the amount of interaction between hypothetical load paths on a structure. Maximum complexity corresponds to maximum interaction. In the paper, the links between structural complexity and robustness are investigated

Enhancing structural robustness by complexity maximisation

Structural robustness is considered a fundamental prerequisite in the design of structures. In particular, attention has to be paid to events that are unforecastable and with no known magnitude. Referring to an idea by Donald Rumsfeld, these are unknown unknowns. Among all the possible strategies for ensuring robustness, alternating the load paths on the structures may represent a feasible design solution. Structural complexity is a novel metrics for measuring the amount of interaction between hypothetical load paths on a structure. Maximum complexity corresponds to maximum interaction. In the paper, the links between structural complexity and robustness are investigated

Regulating Systemic Risk: Towards an Analytical Framework

The global financial crisis demonstrated the inability and unwillingness of financial market participants to safeguard the stability of the financial system. It also highlighted the enormous direct and indirect costs of addressing systemic crises after they have occurred, as opposed to attempting to prevent them from arising. Governments and international organizations are responding with measures intended to make the financial system more resilient to economic shocks, many of which will be implemented by regulatory bodies over time. These measures suffer, however, from the lack of a theoretical account of how systemic risk propagates within the financial system and why regulatory intervention is needed to disrupt it. In this Article, we address this deficiency by examining how systemic risk is transmitted. We then proceed to explain why, in the absence of regulation, market participants cannot be relied upon to disrupt or otherwise limit the transmission of systemic risk. Finally, we advance an analytical framework to inform systemic risk regulation

Mute Swans and Their Chesapeake Bay Habitats:Proceedings of a Symposium

The symposium “Mute Swans and their Chesapeake Bay Habitats,” held on June 7, 2001, provided a forum for biologists and managers to share research findings and management ideas concerning the exotic and invasive mute swan (Cygnus olor). This species has been increasing in population size and is considered by many to be a problem in regard to natural food resources in the Bay that are used by native waterfowl during the winter months. Other persons, however, feel that resource managers are attempting to create a problem to justify more killing of waterfowl by hunters. Some persons also believe that managers should focus on the larger issues causing the decline of native food resources, such as the unabated human population increase in the Bay watershed and in the immediate coastal areas of the Bay. The symposium, sponsored by the Wildfowl Trust of North America and the U.S. Geological Survey, provided the atmosphere for presentation of mute swan data and opinions in a collegial setting where discussion was welcomed and was often informative and enthusiastic. An interesting historic review of the swan in regard to the history of mankind was presented, followed by a discussion on the positive and negative effects of invasive species. Biologists from different parts of the continent discussed the population status of the species in several states in the east and in the Great Lakes area. Data on the food habits of this species were presented in regard to submerged aquatic vegetation, and an interesting discussion on the role that the food habits of Canada geese in regard to native vegetation was presented. Findings and recommendations of the Mute Swan Task Force were presented. Finally, a representative of the Friends of Animals gave a thought-provoking presentation in defense of the mute swan. The presentations, in general, provided the necessary information and recommendations to allow managers to proceed with management of this controversial species with new and valuable perspectives

Complexity and robustness of structures against extreme events

Civil structures are designed to support the loads acting on them. At present, the common practitioner considers both ordinary (winds, snow, accidental loads) and extreme events (earthquake, fire), combines the actions in such a way that, once the resistance of the elements is determined, the probability of failure is limited to a prescribed value. The set of events that may interest the structure is known and, therefore, a statistics of the actions is defined a priori. However, other events that are not forecastable may interest the construction. The sources of such events, called “Black Swans” after Taleb, are unknown, as well as their magnitude. For ensuring the integrity of the construction in such situations, which imply large damages, robust measures have to be taken (Chapter 3). Structural engineering is not the only domain in which unexpected events occur. Nature is the realm of contrasts. By means of evolution, living species differentiates, differentiated, in order to survive and reproduce. Various strategies were implemented in order to guarantee a biological robustness. Such mechanisms evoke one fundamental property of systems, the complexity and the connectivity between the components. The interaction between the parts makes the whole system more robust and tolerant to errors and damages (Chapters 1 and 2). Robustness in structures is implemented through classical strategies, which tend to limit the extent of damages through a design based on the consequences (Chapter 4). Being inspired by natural strategies, the idea of complexity in structural engineering is explored. Many issues arise, since a proper definition of this term has not been stated yet (Chapters 5 and 6). The ef- fects of element removal on frame structures, which represent an example of highly connected structural scheme, are investigated. As a result of simple simulations, the trend observed in Nature, which wants the complex systems to be robust to random damages, are spotted in the loaded structural schemes (Chapter 7)