COMPLEXITY INDEX

Risk Management and Decision Making Glossary

Risk Management and Decision Making — Complexity Index

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Information on Complexity Index

The Complexity Index, C, is used to indicate inherent complexity of a problem, or class of problems. The Complexity Index is defined in terms of:
    

  • V = The number of independent Variables needed to describe the state of the system.

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  • P = The number of independent Parameters needed to distinguish the system from other systems in the same class.

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  • L = The number of control feedback Loops both within the system and connecting the system to the surroundings.

    •      The upper and lower values of C are defined as
                 V + P + L > C >V . P . L,
         noting that when L = 0, or V and P both have low values, C is taken to be V + P + L. For a particular system, the location of the value of C between these upper and lower bounds will depend on the degree of ‘connectedness’ within the structure of the system and between the system and its surroundings (Kline, 1995: 49-51).


     

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