Ken Chan's Graph-Based Framework Estimates System Complexity and Cost
A 29-page paper models dependencies as directed graphs to bound change costs.
Ken Y. Chan's new paper (arXiv:2607.00054) presents a formal framework for estimating system complexity and cost arising from external requirement changes. The core idea is to model a system as a directed graph of couplings, capturing dependencies and information flows between components. This allows the framework to bound the complexity of changes solely through component interfaces, without needing to know internal implementation details. Additionally, it provides a mechanism to bound the cost of system-wide modifications by linking external cost drivers to individual system elements. The model supports three views—graphical, algebraic, and tabular—to accommodate different levels of abstraction and computational needs.
The framework is validated through a case study involving the integration of a large-scale retail banking platform, demonstrating its practical applicability. By bridging the gap between component-based modeling and project cost estimation, the method offers actionable insights for architecture design, software engineering, and lifecycle operations. The paper spans 29 pages and falls under Software Engineering (cs.SE). For professionals managing complex systems, this work provides a quantitative, interface-driven approach to predict and control the ripple effects of system changes, potentially reducing unexpected costs and development delays.
- Models system as a directed graph of couplings between components and elements.
- Bounds change complexity using interface analysis alone, without needing internal logic.
- Validated through a real-world retail banking platform integration case study.
Why It Matters
Enables proactive cost estimation and complexity management in large-scale software systems.