Introduction to the Complex Systems Track

Abstract

There are five mini-tracks in this Track. One minitrack consisting of eight papers in two sessions focuses on Robust and Resilient Critical Infrastructure Systems such as transportation systems, communication networks, and electric power grids. These systems contain interactive subsystems of continuous-time dynamics, discrete-time events, continuous-time controllers, and discrete-time event controllers. Such systems are characterized by complex nonlinear behavior, and experience uncertainty both in their internal description and in external disturbances/environments. The design, analysis and survivability of such infrastructures present many analytical and computational challenges. The Mini-track on “Information Management and Visualization” seeks to explore techniques for managing and visualizing large-scale models that may be distributed across multiple operating authorities. Data issues are prominently featured in this minitrack. Other papers cover shipboard power systems and ways to visualize market prices in network applications are scheduled for presentation. Another Minitrack focuses on topics related to the ability of complex systems such as power systems to survive disturbances with minimal impact on performance. This Minitrack in entitled “Security and Reliability”. Specific topics to be presented are steady-state and dynamic security assessment where the impacts of pre-specified contingencies are analyzed and Available Transfer Capability (ATC) which quantifies the ability of the interconnected system to accept increases in power transfers. Many large complex systems exhibit evidence of self-organized criticality. Issues such as the role of network size and topology along with the influence of network loading and operation on selforganized criticality are of interest. Evidence that large network disturbances are of a selforganized type and mechanisms of self-organized behavior in large networks are to be presented. Finally, there are two sessions in the mini-track on Electricity Markets and Regulation. The aim of this mini-track is to explore the ability of commercial trading models to effectively represent the complex physical behavior of an electricity industry, an issue that is critical to the success of electricity industry restructuring. Important aspects of this issue include the design of efficient spot markets and ancillary service markets, and mechanisms to incorporate network effects in electricity trading models. Papers will be presented that address these and other aspects of this important problem.