CLUSTR: A program for structuring design problems

ABSTRACT

CLUSTR is a computer program which assists the designer in finding the structure inherent in his design problem. The designer supplies the list of elements which define the design problem, and then decides which of these elements are related. The computer decomposes the problem into subsets in which each element is related to every other element. In theory each of these subsets represents the smallest “structural” component of the problem: a coherent functional or behavioral sub-system. The most closely related subsets are then combined into larger clusters. This process continues until all clusters have been recombined. The computer then draws a diagram to show how these subsets are combined to form the final problem structure. The computer also identifies the dominant elements at each node in the structure to assist the designer in finding the solutions to each sub-problem.

REFERENCES

• 1: Miller, George A., "The Magical Number Seven," Psychological Review, 63:81, 1956.
• 1.1: Milne, Murray A., The Design Process, Masters Thesis, University of California, Berkeley, September 1965.
• 2: Simon, Herbert A., Models of Man, New York, Wiley, 1957.
• 3: Hochschule fur Gestaltung, Quarterly Bulletin, Ulm, April 1959.
• 4: Alexander, Christopher W.J., Notes on the Synthesis of Form, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1964.
• 5: Alexander explains the reasons behind his new "non-methodological" interests in the Design Methods Group Newsletter, Vol. 5, No. 3, March 1971.
• 5.1: Others who have recently developed new computer based problem structuring algorithms include:
• 5.2: Bernholtz, Allen, and Edward Bierstone, "Computer Augmented Design," Design Quarterly, 66/67, 41-52.
• 5.3: Davis, Charles F., and Michael D. Kennedy, "EPS: A Computer Program for the Evaluation of Problem Structure," Emerging Methods in Environmental Design and Planning, Gary T. Moore, ed., MIT Press, 1970.
• 5.4: Milne, Murray A., "CLUSTR: A Structure-Finding Algorithm," ibid.
• 5.5: Owen, Charles, "DCMPOS: An Algorithm for the Decomposition of Non-directed Graphs," ibid.
• 6: Alexander, Christopher, ibid.
• 6.1: Milne, Murray A., and Charles W. Rusch, "A Method for Systematic Design in Architecture," draft, School of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of California at Los Angeles, 1969.
• 7: Rittel, Horst, "The Universe of Design," draft, Institute for Urban and Regional Development, University of California, Berkeley, 1964.
• 8: Milne, Murray A., "Architectural Applications of Computer Based Network Analysis Models", AIA Architect Researchers Conference, October 1967, unpublished.
• 8.1: Ore, Oystein, Graphs and Their Uses, Random House, New York, 1963.
• 8.2: Herbert A. Simon, The sciences of the artificial (3rd ed.), MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1996
• 9: Busacker, Robert G., and Thomas L. Saaty, Finite Graphs and Networks, McGraw-Hill, 1965 (p. 77).
• 10: Ball, Geoffrey H., "Classification Analysis," Office of Naval Research, Contract Number 4918 (00), SRI Number 5533 (lists over 500 methods).
• 10.1: David Wishart, "An Algorithm for Hierarchical Classifications," Biometrics, p. 25, 1969.
• 11: Alexander, Christopher, "A City is Not a Tree," Architectural Forum, p. 25 , 1969.
• 12: For a discussion of form diagrams or patterns see:
• 12.1: Alexander, Christopher, op cit, 1965.
• 12.2: Alexander, Christopher, Sara Ishikawa, and Murray Silverstein , "A Pattern Language Which Generates Multi-Service Centers," Center for Environmental Structure, Berkeley, California.
• 13: Milne, Murray, and Charles W. Rusch, "The Cal-Oregon Experiment in Design Education," American Institute of Architects Journal, March 1968.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  D. Software
  D.2 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
      D.2.2 Design Tools and Techniques

Additional Classification:
  F. Theory of Computation
  F.2 ANALYSIS OF ALGORITHMS AND PROBLEM COMPLEXITY

  G. Mathematics of Computing
  G.2 DISCRETE MATHEMATICS
      G.2.2 Graph Theory

General Terms:
Algorithms, Design, Performance