Towards rapid redesign - Decomposition patterns for large-scale and complex redesign problems

In an effort to develop a decomposition-based rapid redesign methodology, this paper introduces the basis of such a methodology on decomposition patterns for a general redesign problem that is computation-intensive and simulation-complex. In particular, through pattern representation and quantification, this paper elaborates the role and utility of the decomposition patterns in decomposition-based rapid redesign. In pattern representation, it shows how a decomposition pattern can be used to capture and portray the intrinsic properties of a redesign problem. Thus, through pattern synthesis, the collection of proper decomposition patterns allows one to effectively represent in a concise form the complete body of redesign knowledge covering all redesign problem types. In pattern quantification, it shows how a decomposition pattern can be used to extract and convey the quantum information of a redesign problem using the pattern characteristics. Thus, through pattern analysis, the formulation of an index incorporating two redesign metrics allows one to efficiently predict in a simple manner the amount of potential redesign effort for a given redesign problem. This work represents a breakthrough in extending the decomposition-based solution approach to computational redesign problems.