Designing systems bottom up: Facets and problems

Frank Schweitzer

Advances in Complex Systems (2020)

Projects: systems

Abstract

Systems design utilizes top-down and bottom-up approaches to influence social or economic systems such that a desired outcome is obtained. We characterize different approaches, such as network controllability, network interventions, nudging and mechanism design, and discuss the problems involved. We argue that systems design cannot be reduced to solving complex optimization problems.