Taxonomy of increasingly complex systems

Systems engineers are responsible for systems ranging from the very simple to the extremely complex. The various types of systems create a need for differentiation of properties and identification using some common nomenclature. While other system taxonomies exist, we propose a unique classification mechanism which utilises a finite set of characteristics. Welldefined attributes provide a basis to develop unambiguous mathematical descriptions in future work. Application of the classification scheme will help employ the appropriate systems engineering methodology to systems in development.