No Cover Image

Journal article 1051 views

The dynamics of belief: continuously monitoring and visualising complex systems

Edwin Beggs Orcid Logo, John Tucker Orcid Logo

Formal Aspects of Computing

Swansea University Authors: Edwin Beggs Orcid Logo, John Tucker Orcid Logo

Full text not available from this repository: check for access using links below.

Check full text

DOI (Published version): 10.1145/3812540

Abstract

We develop a theoretical framework for thinking about systems in complex human contexts and the problem of explaining their behaviour. Structurally, systems are made of modular and hierarchical components that we abstract in a general system model using notions of modes and mode transitions. A mode...

Full description

Published in: Formal Aspects of Computing
ISSN: 0934-5043 1433-299X
Published: Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) 2026
Online Access: Check full text

URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa65454
first_indexed 2024-01-17T15:45:03Z
last_indexed 2026-06-12T13:01:57Z
id cronfa65454
recordtype SURis
fullrecord <?xml version="1.0"?><rfc1807><datestamp>2026-06-11T10:48:38.7858202</datestamp><bib-version>v2</bib-version><id>65454</id><entry>2024-01-17</entry><title>The dynamics of belief: continuously monitoring and visualising complex systems</title><swanseaauthors><author><sid>a0062e7cf6d68f05151560cdf9d14e75</sid><ORCID>0000-0002-3139-0983</ORCID><firstname>Edwin</firstname><surname>Beggs</surname><name>Edwin Beggs</name><active>true</active><ethesisStudent>false</ethesisStudent></author><author><sid>431b3060563ed44cc68c7056ece2f85e</sid><ORCID>0000-0003-4689-8760</ORCID><firstname>John</firstname><surname>Tucker</surname><name>John Tucker</name><active>true</active><ethesisStudent>false</ethesisStudent></author></swanseaauthors><date>2024-01-17</date><deptcode>MACS</deptcode><abstract>We develop a theoretical framework for thinking about systems in complex human contexts and the problem of explaining their behaviour. Structurally, systems are made of modular and hierarchical components that we abstract in a general system model using notions of modes and mode transitions. A mode is an independent component of the system with its own objectives, monitoring data, and algorithms. The behaviour of a mode, including its transitions to other modes, is determined by functions that interpret each mode&#x2019;s monitoring data in the light of its objectives and algorithms. We show how these belief functions can help explain system behaviour by quantifying and visualising their evaluation of monitoring data as trajectories in higher-dimensional geometric spaces. These ideas are formalised mathematically by abstract and geometric simplicial complexes. We offer three techniques&#x2014;a framework for design heuristics, a general system theory based on modes, and a geometric visualisation&#x2014;and apply them in examples of three types of human-centred systems.</abstract><type>Journal Article</type><journal>Formal Aspects of Computing</journal><volume>0</volume><journalNumber/><paginationStart/><paginationEnd/><publisher>Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)</publisher><placeOfPublication/><isbnPrint/><isbnElectronic/><issnPrint>0934-5043</issnPrint><issnElectronic>1433-299X</issnElectronic><keywords>explainable systems, accountable systems, hierarchical systems, modes, mode transitions, belief functions, simplicial complex, human-centred systems, topological semantics</keywords><publishedDay>2</publishedDay><publishedMonth>6</publishedMonth><publishedYear>2026</publishedYear><publishedDate>2026-06-02</publishedDate><doi>10.1145/3812540</doi><url/><notes/><college>COLLEGE NANME</college><department>Mathematics and Computer Science School</department><CollegeCode>COLLEGE CODE</CollegeCode><DepartmentCode>MACS</DepartmentCode><institution>Swansea University</institution><apcterm>SU Library paid the OA fee (TA Institutional Deal)</apcterm><funders/><projectreference/><lastEdited>2026-06-11T10:48:38.7858202</lastEdited><Created>2024-01-17T15:38:06.2035975</Created><path><level id="1">Faculty of Science and Engineering</level><level id="2">School of Mathematics and Computer Science - Mathematics</level></path><authors><author><firstname>Edwin</firstname><surname>Beggs</surname><orcid>0000-0002-3139-0983</orcid><order>1</order></author><author><firstname>John</firstname><surname>Tucker</surname><orcid>0000-0003-4689-8760</orcid><order>2</order></author></authors><documents/><OutputDurs/></rfc1807>
spelling 2026-06-11T10:48:38.7858202 v2 65454 2024-01-17 The dynamics of belief: continuously monitoring and visualising complex systems a0062e7cf6d68f05151560cdf9d14e75 0000-0002-3139-0983 Edwin Beggs Edwin Beggs true false 431b3060563ed44cc68c7056ece2f85e 0000-0003-4689-8760 John Tucker John Tucker true false 2024-01-17 MACS We develop a theoretical framework for thinking about systems in complex human contexts and the problem of explaining their behaviour. Structurally, systems are made of modular and hierarchical components that we abstract in a general system model using notions of modes and mode transitions. A mode is an independent component of the system with its own objectives, monitoring data, and algorithms. The behaviour of a mode, including its transitions to other modes, is determined by functions that interpret each mode’s monitoring data in the light of its objectives and algorithms. We show how these belief functions can help explain system behaviour by quantifying and visualising their evaluation of monitoring data as trajectories in higher-dimensional geometric spaces. These ideas are formalised mathematically by abstract and geometric simplicial complexes. We offer three techniques—a framework for design heuristics, a general system theory based on modes, and a geometric visualisation—and apply them in examples of three types of human-centred systems. Journal Article Formal Aspects of Computing 0 Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) 0934-5043 1433-299X explainable systems, accountable systems, hierarchical systems, modes, mode transitions, belief functions, simplicial complex, human-centred systems, topological semantics 2 6 2026 2026-06-02 10.1145/3812540 COLLEGE NANME Mathematics and Computer Science School COLLEGE CODE MACS Swansea University SU Library paid the OA fee (TA Institutional Deal) 2026-06-11T10:48:38.7858202 2024-01-17T15:38:06.2035975 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Mathematics and Computer Science - Mathematics Edwin Beggs 0000-0002-3139-0983 1 John Tucker 0000-0003-4689-8760 2
title The dynamics of belief: continuously monitoring and visualising complex systems
spellingShingle The dynamics of belief: continuously monitoring and visualising complex systems
Edwin Beggs
John Tucker
title_short The dynamics of belief: continuously monitoring and visualising complex systems
title_full The dynamics of belief: continuously monitoring and visualising complex systems
title_fullStr The dynamics of belief: continuously monitoring and visualising complex systems
title_full_unstemmed The dynamics of belief: continuously monitoring and visualising complex systems
title_sort The dynamics of belief: continuously monitoring and visualising complex systems
author_id_str_mv a0062e7cf6d68f05151560cdf9d14e75
431b3060563ed44cc68c7056ece2f85e
author_id_fullname_str_mv a0062e7cf6d68f05151560cdf9d14e75_***_Edwin Beggs
431b3060563ed44cc68c7056ece2f85e_***_John Tucker
author Edwin Beggs
John Tucker
author2 Edwin Beggs
John Tucker
format Journal article
container_title Formal Aspects of Computing
container_volume 0
publishDate 2026
institution Swansea University
issn 0934-5043
1433-299X
doi_str_mv 10.1145/3812540
publisher Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
college_str Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
department_str School of Mathematics and Computer Science - Mathematics{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}School of Mathematics and Computer Science - Mathematics
document_store_str 0
active_str 0
description We develop a theoretical framework for thinking about systems in complex human contexts and the problem of explaining their behaviour. Structurally, systems are made of modular and hierarchical components that we abstract in a general system model using notions of modes and mode transitions. A mode is an independent component of the system with its own objectives, monitoring data, and algorithms. The behaviour of a mode, including its transitions to other modes, is determined by functions that interpret each mode’s monitoring data in the light of its objectives and algorithms. We show how these belief functions can help explain system behaviour by quantifying and visualising their evaluation of monitoring data as trajectories in higher-dimensional geometric spaces. These ideas are formalised mathematically by abstract and geometric simplicial complexes. We offer three techniques—a framework for design heuristics, a general system theory based on modes, and a geometric visualisation—and apply them in examples of three types of human-centred systems.
published_date 2026-06-02T05:41:53Z
_version_ 1868489570616606720
score 11.109323

Similar Items