Complex solutions for complex problems
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Temasek Defence Systems InstituteTemasek Defence Systems Institute
Complex solutions for complexproblems
Dr Joseph E. Kasser, DSc, CEng, FIET, CM, CMALT
Visiting Associate Professor, TDSI
National University of Singapore, Block E1, #05-05
1 Engineering Drive 2, Singapore 117576
Email [email protected]
Handphone +65 9776 7464, Skype: Prof_G3ZCZ
Web page http://www.therightrequirement.com
The Third International Symposium on EngineeringSystems
June 18-20 2012Delft, The Netherlands
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Temasek Defence Systems InstituteTemasek Defence Systems Institute
Topics• Problems and problem solving
• Classification of problems
• Problem classification matrix
• Solving non-complex problems
• Solving complex problems
• Systems approach
• Questions and discussion
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Temasek Defence Systems InstituteTemasek Defence Systems Institute
Problems and problem solving
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ConvertsUndesirable situation
ToDesirable situation
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Temasek Defence Systems InstituteTemasek Defence Systems Institute
Classification of problems• Level of difficulty of the problem
• Research and intervention problems
• Structure of the problem
• Complexity of the problem
• Others
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Levels of difficulty• Easy - can be solved in a short time with very little thought.
• Medium - can be solved after some thought, may take a fewmore steps to solve than an easy problem and can probably besolved without too much difficulty, perhaps after somepractice.
• Ugly - will take a while to solve. Solving them involves a lotof thought, many steps and may require the use of severaldifferent concepts.
• Hard - usually involve dealing with one or more unknowns.Solving them involves a lot of thought and some research andmay also require iteration through the problem solving processas learning takes place 5
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Research problems• The undesirable situation is the inability to explain
observations of phenomena or the need for someparticular knowledge. In this situation:– the solution is the knowledge often in the form of the
supported hypothesis,
– the problem is how to gain the needed knowledge, and
– the problem solving process is commonly known asthe scientific method, and works forwards
• from the current situation towards a future changed situation inwhich the knowledge has been acquired.
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Temasek Defence Systems InstituteTemasek Defence Systems Institute
Intervention problems• The undesirable situation is when something needs to be
changed over a period of time into a feasible conceptualfuture desired situation (FCFDS). In this situation:– the solution is the FCFDS,
– the problem is how to realize a smooth and timely transition from the currentsituation to the FCFDS, and
– the problem solving process first uses the research problem solving processworking forwards, selects the best one, and then works backwards to thecurrent problematic situation to document:
• the FCFDS, and
• the realization plans documented as a forward process starting from thecurrent situation and ending with the deployment of the FCFDS.
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Structure of the problem• Well-structured
– the existing undesired situation and the desired futuresituation are clearly identified.
– may have a single solution or sometimes more than onecorrect solution.
• Ill-structured– either or both the existing undesired situation and the
desired future situation are unclear
• Wicked– extremely ill-structured problems
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Complexity of the problem• Number of issues, functions, or variables
involved in the problem;
• Degree of connectivity among thosevariables;
• Type of functional relationships amongthose properties;
• Stability among the properties of theproblem over time
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Problem classification matrix
Wicked Here be dragons
(there are no solutions)Ill-structuredWell-
structured Simple ComplicatedNon-complex
Easy Medium Ugly Hard
Level of difficulty
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Solving non-complex problems• Easy well-structured problems
– Simple problems requiring little if any research before creating thesolution.
• Medium well-structured problems– Less simple requiring some research before creating the solution.
• Ugly well-structured problems– Complicated yet require little if any research before creating the
solution.
• Hard well-structured non-complex problems– Complicated and require research before creating the solution.
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Solving complex problems-1• Well-structured complex problems
– consist of a set of interconnected well-structured non-complexproblems
– the remedy to one may affect another, these problems cannot besolved in one pass thorough the problem solving process.
– must remedied by evolving a solution using multiple passes of theproblem solving process where each iteration produces a better(less undesirable) situation.
– one party’s remedy may be another party’s undesirable situationand foster further change.
• Makes it more complicated
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Solving complex problems-2• Ill-structured complex problems.
– These problems cannot be solved.
– They need to be converted to well-structured problemsbefore attempting to provide solutions.
– Different people convert ill-structured problems intodifferent and sometimes contradictory well-structuredproblems and which would generate different andsometimes contradictory solutions.
• Wicked Problems.– The fundamental paradox with respect to Wicked
Problems is that there are no such problems. 13
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Systems approach to dealing withproblems
Observeand think
Formulatehypothesis
Testhypothesis
Research
RefutedSupported
8 Descriptive STPs*
Scientific STP*
* Kasser and Mackley, 200814
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Remedying complex problems1. Convert the ill-structured complex problem to a well-
structured problem.
2. Convert the well-structured complex problem to a set ofwell-structured non-complex problems that provide partialsolutions to the complex problem.
3. Realize a partial solution to the complex problem byremedying one or more of the non-complex problems.
4. Reexamine the undesirability of the changed situation.
5. Go back to step 1.
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Summary• Problems and problem solving
• Classification of problems
• Problem classification matrix
• Solving non-complex problems
• Solving complex problems
• Systems approach
• Questions and discussion
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