Rational Descriptions Decisions And Designs

Rational Descriptions, Decisions and Designs

Rational Descriptions, Decisions and Designs is a reference for understanding the aspects of rational decision theory in terms of the basic formalism of information theory. The text provides ways to achieve correct engineering design decisions. The book starts with an understanding for the need to apply rationality, as opposed to uncertainty, in design decision making. Inductive logic in computers is explained where the design of the machine and the accompanying software are considered. The text then explains the functional equations and the problems of arriving at a rational description through some mathematical preliminaries. Bayes' equation and rational inference as tools for adjusting probabilities when something new is encountered in earlier probability distributions are explained. The book presents as well a case study concerning the error made in following specifications of spark plugs. The author also explains the Bernoulli trials, where a probability that a better hypothesis than that already adopted may exist. The rational measure of uncertainty and the principle of maximum entropy with sample calculations are included in the text. After considering the probabilities, the decision theory is taken up where engineering design follows. Examples regarding transmitter and voltmeter designs are presented. The book ends by explaining probabilities of success and failure as applied to reliability engineering, that it is a state of knowledge rather than the state of a thing. The text can serve as a textbook for students in technology engineering and design, and as a useful reference for mathematicians, statisticians, and fabrication engineers.

Rational Descriptions, Decisions and Designs

Design Methodology and Relationships with Science

Many business corporations are faced with the challenge of bringing together quite different types of knowledge in design processes: knowledge of different disciplines in the natural and engineering sciences, knowledge of markets and market trends, knowledge of political and juridical affairs. This also means a challenge for design methodology as the academic discipline that studies design processes and methods. The aim of the NATO ARW of which this book is the report was to bring together colleagues from different academic fields to discuss this increasing multidisciplinarity in the relationship between design and sciences. This multidisciplinarity made the conference a special event. At a certain moment one of the participants exclaimed: "This is not a traditional design methodology conference!" Throughout the conference it was evident that there was a need to develop a common language and understanding to enable the exchange of different perspectives on design and its relationship with science. The contributions that have been included in this book show these different perspectives: the philosophical, the historical, the engineering perspective and the practical designer's experience.