Fundamental requirements and DEVS approach for modeling and simulation of complex adaptive system of systems: healthcare reform

Abstract

Systems of Systems (SoS) that include intelligence and adaptability exhibit high complexity that cannot be easily tackled using classic system engineering techniques. Recent model-based system engineering has also proved inadequate due to lack of a full-strength modeling and simulation (M&S) computational substrate. Such full-strength M&S support can help systems engineers to develop models of complex adaptive SoS that support design and testing of mechanisms to coordinate component interactions and enable such mechanisms to improve over time. Successful application of this paradigm entails non-trivial pre-conditions to be put in place. In this paper, we discuss some of the requirements in the context of healthcare systems reform and an approach using formal Discrete Event Systems (DEVS) specification.