Managing dynamic state of a physical system

One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media for storing computer-executable instructions executable by processing logic, the media storing one or more instructions for:

• providing, using a computing device, a network having elements, where:
• the network represents a physical system having entities,
• the elements of the network represent one or more of the entities of the physical system, and
• the elements are associated with states;
• acquiring a definition of an operation to be applied to a first state object associated with flail the network and a second state object associated with the network to produce a third state object associated with the network, where:
• the first state object contains:
• a first set of information including a first value for at least one of the states associated with at least one of the elements of the network, and
• a first scaffold specifying a high-level definition of a desired state for a portion of the network, the first scaffold being associated with the network, or
• a first target indicating a desired value for the at least one of the states associated with the at least one of the elements of the network, the first target being associated with the network, and
• the second state object contains:
• a second set of information including a second value for the at least one of the states associated with the at least one of the elements of the network, and
• a second scaffold associated with the network, or
• a second target associated with the network;
• applying the operation identified in the definition of the operation to the first state object and the second state object;
• and
• producing the third state object, the third state object containing a third set of information including a third value for the at least one of the states associated with the at least one of the elements of the network, the third set of information including at least one of the first scaffold, the first target, the second scaffold or the second target.

One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media for storing computer-executable instructions executable by processing logic, the media storing one or more instructions for:

• providing, using a computing device, a network having elements, where:
• the network represents a physical system having entities,
• the elements of the network represent one or more of the entities of the physical system, and
• the elements are associated with states;
• acquiring a definition of an operation to be applied to a state object associated with flail the network, where:
• the state object contains a first set of information including a first value for at least one of the states associated with at least one of the elements of the network,
• the first set of information includes at least one of:
• a plurality of scaffolds associated with the network, where each scaffold specifies a high-level definition of a desired state for a portion of the network,
• a plurality of targets associated with the network, where each target indicates a desired value for a state of at least one element of the network, or
• at least one scaffold associated with the network and at least one target associated with the network;
• applying, using processing logic, the operation identified in the definition of the operation to the first set of information contained in the state object;
• and
• generating a second set of information, where:
• the second set of information includes a second value for the at least one of the states associated with the at least one of the elements of the network,
• the second set of information includes at least one of:
• a scaffold in the plurality of scaffolds associated with the network, or
• a target in the plurality of targets associated with the network,
• a number of scaffolds and targets contained in the second set of information being different than a number of scaffolds and targets contained in the first set of information.

A method comprising:

• providing, using a computing device, a network having elements, where:
• the network represents a physical system having entities,
• the elements of the network represent one or more of the entities of the physical system, and
• the elements are associated with states;
• acquiring a definition of an operation to be applied to a first state object associated with the network and a second state object associated with the network to produce a third state object associated with the network, where:
• the first state object contains:
• a first set of information including a first value for at least one of the states associated with at least one of the elements of the network, and
• a first scaffold specifying a high-level definition of a desired state for a portion of the network, the first scaffold being associated with the network, or
• a first target indicating a desired value for the at least one of the states associated with the at least one of the elements of the network, the first target being associated with the network, and
• the second state object contains:
• a second set of information including a second value for the at least one of the states associated with the at least one of the elements of the network, and
• a second scaffold associated with the network, or
• a second target associated with the network;
• applying, using processing logic, the operation identified in the definition of the operation to the first state object and the second state object;
• and
• producing the third state object, the third state object containing a third value for the at least one of the states associated with the at least one of the elements of the network, the third set of information including at least one of the first scaffold, the first target, the second scaffold or the second target.