30,757 research outputs found

    Understanding interdependency through complex information sharing

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    The interactions between three or more random variables are often nontrivial, poorly understood, and yet, are paramount for future advances in fields such as network information theory, neuroscience, genetics and many others. In this work, we propose to analyze these interactions as different modes of information sharing. Towards this end, we introduce a novel axiomatic framework for decomposing the joint entropy, which characterizes the various ways in which random variables can share information. The key contribution of our framework is to distinguish between interdependencies where the information is shared redundantly, and synergistic interdependencies where the sharing structure exists in the whole but not between the parts. We show that our axioms determine unique formulas for all the terms of the proposed decomposition for a number of cases of interest. Moreover, we show how these results can be applied to several network information theory problems, providing a more intuitive understanding of their fundamental limits.Comment: 39 pages, 4 figure

    Towards a Common Language of Infrastructure Interdependency

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    Infrastructure systems can exist interdependently with one another either by design, necessity or evolution. There is evidence that interdependencies can be the source of emergent benefits and hazards, and therefore there is value in their identification and management. Achieving this requires collaboration and communication between infrastructure stakeholders across all relevant sectors. Recognising, developing and sharing multiple understandings of infrastructure interdependency and dependency will facilitate a wide range of multi-disciplinary and cross-sectorial work and support productive stakeholder dialogues. This paper therefore aims to initiate discussion around the nature of infrastructure interdependency and dependency in order to establish the basis of a useful, coherent and complete conceptual taxonomy. It sets out an approach for locating this taxonomy and language within a framework of commonplace stakeholder viewpoints. The paper looks at the potential structural arrangements of infrastructure interdependencies before exploring the qualitative ways in which the relationships can be characterised. This builds on the existing body of knowledge as well as experience through case studies in developing an Interdependency Planning and Management Framework for Infrastructure

    Australian commercial-critical infrastructure management protection

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    Secure management of Australia\u27s commercial critical infrastructure presents ongoing challenges to owners and the government. Although managed via a high-level information sharing collaboration of government and business, critical infrastructure protection is further complicated by the lack of a lower-level scalable model exhibiting its various levels, sectors and sub-sectors. This research builds on the work of Marasea (2003) to establish a descriptive critical infrastructure model and also considers the influence and proposed modelling of critical infrastructure dependency inter-relationships.<br /

    Supporting 'design for reuse' with modular design

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    Engineering design reuse refers to the utilization of any knowledge gained from the design activity to support future design. As such, engineering design reuse approaches are concerned with the support, exploration, and enhancement of design knowledge prior, during, and after a design activity. Modular design is a product structuring principle whereby products are developed with distinct modules for rapid product development, efficient upgrades, and possible reuse (of the physical modules). The benefits of modular design center on a greater capacity for structuring component parts to better manage the relation between market requirements and the designed product. This study explores the capabilities of modular design principles to provide improved support for the engineering design reuse concept. The correlations between modular design and 'reuse' are highlighted, with the aim of identifying its potential to aid the little-supported process of design for reuse. In fulfilment of this objective the authors not only identify the requirements of design for reuse, but also propose how modular design principles can be extended to support design for reuse

    Complexity in Designing Energy Efficient Buildings: Towards Understanding Decision Networks in Design

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    Most important decisions for designing energy efficient buildings are made in the early stages of design. Designing is a complex interdisciplinary task, and energy efficiency requirements are pushing boundaries even further. This study analyzes the level of complexity for energy efficient building design and possible remedies for managing or reducing the complexity. Methodologically, we used the design structure matrix for mapping the current design tasks and hierarchical decomposition of lifecycle analysis for visualizing the interdependency of the design tasks and design disciplines and how changes propagate throughout the system, tasks and disciplines. We have visualized the interdependency of design tasks and design disciplines and how changes propagate throughout the system. Current design of energy efficiency building is a linear and one-shot approach without iterations planned into the process. Broken management techniques do not help to reduce the complexit

    Trust in ICT-Based New Product Development - Guidelines for Virtual New Product Development Teams

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    The traditional process of new product development is focusing on an intra-organizational workflow, which should - in its ideal form - be done by virtual interdisciplinary teams. Team members should be from several departments like manufacturing, research & development, sales and marketing. But innovation is happening more and more in networks of companies, clusters or so called network companies. The following article delivers a framework of guidelines for virtual team management in order to improve the success of innovation strategies.e-collaboration, virtual team work, new product development, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,
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