Problem reduction
Take a complicate problem and transform it into a simpler problem.
Start with safe transformations, the ones you are sure will work in any case. Then apply heuristic transformations, the ones that could work.
The problem simplification schema, may create “and node“, where the problem forks in several sub problems and “or node” where the problem may be solved with either one or another transformation. The resulting schema is usually called a “problem reduction tree“, “and/or tree” or “goal tree“.
In an “or node”, it helps to understand the depth of functional composition (number of transformations to be applied after and “or” options of the branch) and the simplicity of solving each options to complete the problem resolution.
Method
Everything depends on the domain of the problem and the knowledge required to solve it. Knowledge about knowledge, meta-knowledge, is power to solve problems.
- Start by evaluating what kind of knowledge is involved.
- Understand how the knowledge is represented. Each category of knowledge has its own way of being represented.
- Know how the knowledge is used.
- Know how much knowledge is required to solve the problem.
- Know what exactly knowledge does to solve the problem.