Abstract

  [IMAGE ]
Figure: An Icon Representing a Noema

A traditional engineering paradigm is very hierarchical in nature. To understand a whole, first understand the parts then combine the knowledge into an understanding of the whole.

In a noemic paradigm, the understanding of the whole comes first. The understanding of the part is a projection of the whole. The noemic paradigm reflects life.

This thesis proposes that modern software engineering built for highly distributed computing environments should be based on a noemic paradigm.

Life is an example of a Noema. A Noema is not a neural network which simulates the learning process of the brain. A Noema is not a genetic algorithm which simulates system evolution. A noemic paradigm is represented by the body chemistry of living systems like the respiratory, circulatory, immune, and digestive systems.

This thesis will define the foundations of the noemic paradigm, give some examples, and support the theory that a Noema, though harder to build, supports change.

See Figure  on page   for an icon of a Noema. Each circle viewed in isolation is represented by a simple shaded pattern. When the three circles are combined new regions and new patterns, previously not visible, appear. They are triangular shaped and represent two distinct interaction patterns formed from pairs of circles and formed from all three circles. The role of a circle in the Noema consists of four distinct categories that of a circle itself, the interaction of the circle with the other two circles individually, and the interaction of all three circles.

In a Noema, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.