Clustering theory in the design of information systems

A typical first step in the system analysis or design process is to decompose, hierarchically, the system into subsystems until each subsystem admits no useful decomposition, or is seen to exist, or is recognized as designable. For the actual design work, groups of these pensile subsystems are assigned to design groups and their efforts interconnected to give the overall system. The present paper focuses attention upon the problem of grouping the subsystems—an optimal partition is sought. For a reasonable metric on the set of subsystems it is found they may be treated as objects on a line, a case where exact optimal solutions may be determined. A dynamic programming/LaGrangian algorithm is given and the computer solution to a 100 subsystem example presented.