Embodiments disclosed herein include systems, methods, and apparatuses for managing requirements for an existing or proposed objective system. An information system in accordance with one embodiment includes one or more processors and storage coupled to the one or more processors. The storage is configured to represent requirements data, including one or more requirements for the objective system, and a particular state of the requirements data for the objective system, including subsystems of the objective system. The particular state of the requirements data includes a particular discrete information quality level for each requirement. The processors are programmed to calculate a requirements information entropy metric, HR, for the particular state, and to calculate an additional information increment ΔI. The additional information increment ΔI represents an amount of additional information necessary to transform the requirements data from the particular state of the requirements data to a desired state of the requirements data.
Please help me write a proper abstract based on the patent claims. CLAIM: 1. An information system for managing requirements for an existing or proposed objective system, the information system comprising: one or more processors; and storage coupled to the one or more processors, the storage configured to represent underlying requirements data, the requirements data comprising one or more requirements for the objective system, the storage further configured to represent a particular state of the requirements data specified for the objective system, including a plurality of constituent subsystems of the objective system, wherein the particular state of the requirements data specified for the objective system comprises a particular discrete information quality level for each requirement in the requirements data represented in the storage; and wherein the one or more processors are programmed to calculate, from the particular state of the requirements data and discrete information quality level for each requirement, a requirements information entropy metric, HR, for the particular state, and based on the requirements information entropy metric, to calculate an additional information increment ΔI, wherein ΔI represents an amount of additional information necessary to transform the requirements data from the particular state of the requirements data to a desired state of the requirements data. 2. The information system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed to calculate a measure of additional engineering effort ΔE, wherein ΔE represents an amount of system engineering effort required to transition the requirements information entropy metric HR to a desired state of the underlying requirements data and particular discrete information quality levels for each requirement. 3. The information system of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed to calculate a total requirements quality Q, and calculate therefrom, the additional engineering effort ΔE. 4. The information system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed to calculate, based on the requirements information entropy metric HR, a forecast of when the desired state will be reached. 5. The information system of claim 1, further comprising: a user interface, implemented on the one or more processors, whereby discrete information quality levels for one or more requirements in the requirement data are modifiable, wherein the modification comprises an updated particular state of the requirements data; and wherein the one or more processors are further programmed to calculate, in correspondence with the modified discrete information quality levels, an updated requirements information entropy metric, HR, corresponding to the updated particular state of the requirements data. 6. The information system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed to calculate, based on the requirements data, a maximum requirements entropy metric HRmax. 7. The information system of claim 1, wherein each requirement in the requirements data represented in the storage is characterized by one of fifteen discrete information quality levels. 8. A computer-implemented method for managing requirements for an existing or proposed objective system, comprising: receiving, by one or more processors, a particular state of underlying requirements data for the objective system, the requirements data comprising one or more requirements for the objective system, including a plurality of constituent subsystems of the objective system, wherein the particular state of the underlying requirements data comprises a particular discrete information quality level for each requirement for the objective system; and calculating, by the one or more processors, from the particular state of the underlying requirements data and the particular discrete information quality levels for each requirement for the objective system, a requirements information entropy metric, HR, for the particular state; and calculating, by the one or more processors and based on the requirements information entropy metric, an additional information increment ΔI, wherein ΔI represents an amount of additional information necessary to transform the requirements data from the particular state of the requirements data to a desired state of the requirements data. 9. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising calculating, by the one or more processors, a measure of additional engineering effort ΔE, wherein ΔE represents an amount of system engineering effort required to transition the requirements information entropy metric HR to a desired state of the underlying requirements data and particular discrete information quality levels for each requirement. 10. The computer-implemented system of claim 10, further comprising calculating, by the one or more processors, a total requirements quality Q, and wherein the additional engineering effort ΔE is calculated based on the total requirements quality Q. 11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising calculating, by the one or more processors, based on the requirements information entropy metric HR, a forecast of when the desired state of the underlying requirements data and particular discrete information quality levels for each requirement will be reached. 12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising: providing, by one or more processors, a user interface whereby discrete information quality levels for one or more requirements in the requirement data are modifiable, wherein the modification comprises an updated particular state of the requirements data; and calculating, by the one or more processors, in correspondence with the modified discrete information quality levels, an updated requirements information entropy metric, HR, corresponding to the updated particular state of the requirements data. 13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising calculating, based on the requirements data, a maximum requirements entropy metric HRmax. 14. A non-transitory machine-readable medium encoding a plurality of machine-readable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, are adapted to cause the one or more processors to perform the method for managing requirements for an existing or proposed objective system of claim 8. 15. An apparatus for managing requirements for an existing or proposed objective system, comprising: means for receiving a particular state of underlying requirements data for the objective system, the requirements data comprising one or more requirements for the objective system, including a plurality of constituent subsystems of the objective system, wherein the particular state of the underlying requirements data comprises a particular discrete information quality level for each requirement for the objective system; means for calculating from the particular state of the underlying requirements data and the particular discrete information quality levels for each requirement for the objective system, a requirements information entropy metric, HR, for the particular state; and means for calculating, based on the requirements information entropy metric, an additional information increment ΔI, wherein ΔI represents an amount of additional information necessary to transform the requirements data from the particular state of the requirements data to a desired state of the requirements data. 16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising means for calculating a measure of additional engineering effort ΔE, wherein ΔE represents an amount of system engineering effort required to transition the requirements information entropy metric HR to a desired state of the underlying requirements data and particular discrete information quality levels for each requirement. 17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising means for calculating a total requirements quality Q, and wherein the additional engineering effort ΔE is calculated based on the total requirements quality Q. 18. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising means for calculating, based on the requirements information entropy metric HR, a forecast of when the desired state of the underlying requirements data and particular discrete information quality levels for each requirement will be reached. 19. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising: means for providing a user interface whereby discrete information quality levels for one or more requirements in the requirement data are modifiable, wherein the modification comprises an updated particular state of the requirements data; and means for calculating, in correspondence with the modified discrete information quality levels, an updated requirements information entropy metric, HR, corresponding to the updated particular state of the requirements data. 20. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising means for calculating, based on the requirements data, a maximum requirements entropy metric HRmax.