The role of elegance in system architecture and design

The meaning and relevance of elegance in system architecture and design is considered. After establishing its desirability, elegance is defined by two criteria common to complex, elegant systems: 1. the system must function according to its stated purpose; and 2. the design pressures constraining the system design must be simultaneously relieved. These criteria were developed after discussion with experts in a wide variety of disciplines and after research of seven examples given by the experts in their respective fields. Aside from the criteria above, characteristics common to many elegant solutions are identified and discussed. The relativity of elegance is discussed with respect to variations in objectives, language, timing, and culture; and means to improve one's sense of elegance are suggested. Finally, methods to create elegant solutions are considered with special attention paid to those methods recognized in the elegant solutions considered within this text.

Department dc:contributor.department

System Design and Management Program

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

1999

Author dc:creator

• Billow, Steven A. (Steven Arthur), 1967-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Seth Lloyd.

• System Design and Management Program

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/9745

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/9745