System-by-design: A new paradigm for handling design complexity

A new paradigm for handling complexity in large system design is introduced. The so-called System-by-Design paradigm is based on the representation of the design procedure in terms of a set of interconnected functional blocks, each one associated to a different design functionality (synthesis, analysis, configuration, optimization, etc.) referring to a sub-part of the overall system. The advantages in terms of flexibility, effectiveness, and generality of representing the design in terms of heterogeneous functionalities, which can be substituted/ integrated depending on the problem constraints, objectives, and expected results (e.g., target computational complexity and accuracy) is demonstrated in a preliminary illustrative example.