Interpreting integrability

Abstract

Most systems engineers have likely heard of or pursued integrability when developing systems. It is also likely that systems engineers perceive that, in general, integrability is a desired quality to attain. But what is integrability, really? While there is likely a consensus within the systems engineering community about the general idea of integrability, this paper poses that reasoning about integrability requires a deeper, comprehensive interpretation of what integrability is and entails. Recognizing that the meaning of integrability is subjective, this paper provides a deep dive into understanding and interpreting integrability. The findings presented in this paper could be used as a guide for others to find clarity on what they mean by achieving integrability when developing systems.