Introduction to Engineering Systems

Lecture Notes

SES #	TOPICS	KEY THEMES	LECTURE NOTES
L1	Introduction to critical contemporary issues (CCIs)and complex systems	Trillion dollar problems; examples from CCIs; ESD focus areas (energy, healthcare, critical infrastructure etc); definitions of system; complexity; system boundary; scale, interfaces; agents; architecture; what is ‘design’ of CSS; project introductions	(PDF)
L2	System dynamics I: Introduction	Modeling complex systems; feedback; causal diagrams	(PDF)
L3	System dynamics II: System structure and behavior	Stock and flows; linear and non-linear first order systems	(PDF)
L4	System dynamics III: Simulation		(PDF)
L5	Uncertainty I: Introduction	Introduction to random variables; probability; statistics	(PDF)
L6	Uncertainty II: Applications	Designing for flexibility; planning for uncertainty (forecasts etc.), policy robustness	(PDF)
L7	Networks I: Introduction, structure, and behavior	Examples of transportation, communication, social networks, etc.	(PDF)
L8	Networks II: Applications	Implications of network structure and system behavior; network optimization	(PDF)
L9	Considering stakeholders with different values in decision making	Considering stakeholders with different values in decision making	(PDF)
L10	Class field trip
L11	Design of an Engineering Systems Division (ESD) undergraduate major
L12	Final project oral presentations