Unit 13 Flashcards
aspects of problems
goal, givens, means of transforming conditions, obstacles
goal
an end state or solution being pursued which can be determined as “solved” by some criterion
givens
objects, conditions, and constraints associated with a problem
means of transforming conditions
the problem must be practically solvable, so there must be a way to change the situation
obstacles
some difficulty must exist which inhibits finding the solution
problem space
the internal representation of the external problem
task environment
the external existence of the problem
problem state
the current situation in the problem-solving process
the two problem states all problems have
initial state and goal state
initial state
problem state before any progress towards the goal has been made
goal state
problem state after the goal of the problem has been reached
problem operator
the actions done to move closer to the goal
well-defined problem
conditions of a problem are clear and have no ambiguity (ex: arithmetic)
algorithm
systematic process to find a solution; guaranteed solution, but inefficient
heuristic
cognitive shortcut; not guaranteed a solution, but more efficient
ill-defined problem
the conditions and aspects are not clearly specified; ambiguities and uncertainties cloud the paths to the goal
hill climbing heuristic
one chooses the the next state closest to the goal; effective, but doesn’t always lead to the desired solution
means-end analysis heuristic
problem solver reviews numerous problem operators available and identifies which one best reduces the distance to the goal
problem with means-end analysis
problem solver may not necessarily know which operators are best
functional fixedness
the inability to use objects for purposes other than their intended functions or designs
