FoCAS 2014

Collective Adaptive Systems (CAS) is a broad term that describes large scale systems that comprise of many units/nodes, each of which may have their own individual properties, objectives and actions. Decision-making in such a system is distributed and possibly highly dispersed, and interaction between the units may lead to the emergence of unexpected phenomena. CASs are open, in that nodes may enter or leave the collective at any time, and boundaries between CASs are fluid. The units can be highly heterogeneous (computers, robots, agents, devices, biological entities, etc.), each operating at different temporal and spatial scales, and having different (potentially conflicting) objectives and goals, even if often the system has a global goal that is pursued by means of collective actions. Our society increasingly depends on such systems, in which collections of heterogeneous ‘technological’ nodes are tightly entangled with human and social structures to form ‘artificial societies’. Yet, to properly exploit them, we need to develop a deeper scientific understanding of the principles by which they operate, in order to better design them.

Novel theories relating to operating principles of CAS
Novel design principles for building CAS systems
Insights into the short and long term adaptation of CAS systems
Insights into Emergent Properties of CAS
Insights into general properties of large scale, distributed CAS
Methodologies for studying, analysing and building CAS
Frameworks for analysing or developing CAS
Case-studies/Scenarios that can be used to investigate CAS properties