Footprint and Philosophy

Abstract

This chapter summarizes the footprint, philosophy and strategy of this book. The historical evolution of the energy minimization multiscale (EMMS) model is briefly introduced; the structure of the book is also outlined. To introduce the philosophy of this book, the spectrum of science and technology and the common multiscale nature of different disciplines are discussed. As meso-scales are identified as the critical issue in understanding complex systems, three such levels (material, reactor and system) in process engineering are analyzed in detail, emphasizing the importance of compromise between dominant mechanisms in generating meso-scale phenomena. Finally, the footprint of the EMMS model from a simple idea to a computational paradigm (the EMMS paradigm), and further to meso-science, is outlined to complete the overview of this book.