System Adaptability Measure

An System Adaptability Measure is a system measure for its ability to adapt in response to changes, perturbations, or new conditions in its environment or goals while still maintaining desired functionality.

• Context:
  • It can (typically) assess various aspects such as Robustness, Flexibility, Resilience, and Evolvability.
  • It can (often) be used to design more versatile and autonomous systems.
  • It can range from applications in Robotics to Machine Learning and Ecology.
  • It can be tested empirically or analyzed theoretically to understand adaptive mechanisms.
  • It can require consideration of trade-offs with other properties like Efficiency, Simplicity, and Specialization.
  • It can be challenging to formalize and operationalize in many domains, making it an active area of research.
  • ...
• Example(s):
  • a Robotic System that modifies its behavior based on sensor feedback to navigate new terrains,
  • a Machine Learning Model that adjusts its parameters to improve performance on new data types,
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • Fixed Algorithms, which do not alter their behavior despite changes in input or environment,
  • ...
• See also: Robustness (systems), Versatility (systems), Resilience (systems), Evolvability, Transferability, Generalization (machine learning).

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References

2024

• (Wikipedia, 2024) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adaptability Retrieved:2024-5-3.
  • Adaptability ("fit to, adjust") is a feature of a system or of a process. This word has been put to use as a specialised term in different disciplines and in business operations. Word definitions of adaptability as a specialised term differ little from dictionary definitions. According to Andresen and Gronau adaptability in the field of organizational management can in general be seen as an ability to change something or oneself to fit to occurring changes. In ecology, adaptability has been described as the ability to cope with unexpected disturbances in the environment. With respect to business and manufacturing systems and processes, adaptability has come to be seen increasingly as an important factor for their efficiency and economic success. In contrast, adaptability and efficiency are held to be in opposition to each other in biological and ecological systems, requiring a trade-off, since both are important factors in the success of such systems. To determine the adaptability of a process or a system, it should be validated concerning some criteria.

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