Controls in an age of complexity

Summary form only given. The paper discusses in general the changed nature of control and automation today, noting how ones now have the means to solve much larger problems than ever before, but an “in principle” qualification is necessary. Next, some of the sources of complexity are identified, including nonlinearities, couplings, the large scale nature of the problems of interest, the desire for autonomy in control systems, fast time to market demands, streamlined organizations, safety and environmental considerations, etc. Both technical and non-technical considerations apply and several approaches are being suggested for “complexity management. The author argues that no one technique, or class of techniques, is adequate for the problems that confront industry and society today. At this stage of our understanding, asking the right questions is as important as suggesting answers, multidisciplinary syntheses are critically needed, and technologies and their applications must be seen as inextricably linked