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A problem is an obstacle which makes it difficult to achieve a desired goal, objective or purpose. It refers to a situation, condition, or issue that is yet unresolved. In a broad sense, a problem exists when an individual becomes aware of a significant difference between what actually is and what is desired. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wiktionary (a portmanteau of wiki and dictionary) is a multilingual, Web-based project to create a free content dictionary, available in over 151 languages. ...

Etymology

From Ancient Greek πρόβλημα (próblēma) "anything thrown forward, hindrance, obstacle, anything projecting, a headland, promontory", from προβάλλω (probállō) "to throw or lay something in front of someone, to put forward", from prefix προ- (pro-) "in front of" + βάλλω (bállo) "to throw, to cast, to hurl".

Problem Solving

Every problem asks for an answer or solution. Trying to find a solution to a problem is known as problem solving. The time it takes to solve a problem is a way of measuring complexity.^[1] Many problems have no discovered solution and are therefore classified as an open problem. In the common law, an answer is the first pleading by a defendant, usually filed and served upon the plaintiff within a certain strict time limit after a civil complaint or criminal information or indictment has been served upon the defendant. ... Problem solving forms part of thinking. ... Complexity in general usage is the opposite of simplicity. ... An open problem is a problem that can be formally stated and for which a solution is known to exist but which has not yet been solved. ...

See also: List of unsolved problems

From the mid 20 th century, the field of theoretical computer science has explored the use of computers to solve problems. This is a list of lists of unsolved problems in various subjects: Unsolved problems in biology Unsolved problems in chemistry Unsolved problems in cognitive science Unsolved problems in computer science Unsolved problems in economics Unsolved problems in Egyptology Unsolved problems in governance Unsolved problems in mathematics Unsolved problems in medicine... Computer science (informally, CS or compsci) is, in its most general sense, the study of computation and information processing, both in hardware and in software. ...

Examples

• Mathematical problem is a question about mathematical objects and structures that may require a distinct answer or explanation or proof. Examples include word problems at school level or deeper problems such as shading a map with only four colours.
• In society, a problem can refer to particular social issues, which if solved would yield social benefits, such as increased harmony or productivity, and conversely diminished hostility and disruption.

See also: Wicked problem

• In business and engineering, a problem is a difference between actual conditions and those that are required or desired. Often, the causes of a problem are not known, in which case root cause analysis is employed to find the causes and identify corrective actions.
• In chess, a problem is a puzzle set by somebody using chess pieces on a chess board, for others to get instruction or intellectual satisfaction from determining the solution.
• In theology, there is what is referred to as the Synoptic Problem, which includes in its discourse a concern for assumptions of historical accuracy that are challenged by apparent contradictions in the Gospels' accounts of allegedly historical events.
• In academic discourse a problem is a challenge to an assumption, an apparent conflict that requires synthesis and reconciliation. It is a normal part of systematic thinking, the address of which adds to or detracts from the veracity of a conclusion or idea.
• An optimization problem is finding the best solution from all feasible solutions. A good example of this type of problem is the travelling salesperson problem which is based on calculating the most efficient route between many places
• In computability theory a decision problem requires a simple yes-or-no answer.

A mathematical problem is a problem that can be solved with the help of mathematics. ... In mathematics, a proof is a demonstration that, assuming certain axioms, some statement is necessarily true. ... In mathematics and computer science, a word problem for a set S with respect to a system of finite encodings of its elements, is the algorithmic problem of deciding whether two given representatives represent the same element of the set. ... Example of a four-colored map The four color theorem (also known as the four color map theorem) states that given any plane separated into regions, such as a political map of the states of a country, the regions may be colored using no more than four colors in such... For other uses, see Society (disambiguation). ... List of major social issues overpopulation teenage pregnancy drug abuse gun control education issue singlemother increase in divorce rate increase in HI rate ... The concept of wicked problems was originally proposed by H. J. Rittel (a pioneering theorist of design and planning, and late professor at the University of California, Berkeley) and M. Webber in a seminal treatise for social planning. ... In economics, a business is a legally-recognized organizational entity existing within an economically free country designed to sell goods and/or services to consumers, usually in an effort to generate profit. ... Engineering is the discipline of acquiring and applying knowledge of design, analysis, and/or construction of works for practical purposes. ... Root cause analysis (RCA) is a class of problem solving methods aimed at identifying the root causes of problems or events. ... Godfrey Heathcote Hampstead and Highgate Express, 1905-06 (First Prize) White to move and mate in two. ... Theology finds its scholars pursuing the understanding of and providing reasoned discourse of religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ... The synoptic problem concerns the literary relationship between and among the first three canonical gospels (the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke), known as the synoptic gospels. ... For the genre of Christian-themed music, see gospel music. ... Discourse is a term used in semantics as in discourse analysis, but it also refers to a social conception of discourse, often linked with the work of French philosopher Michel Foucault (1926-1984) and Jürgen Habermas The Theory of Communicative Action (1985). ... In computer science, an optimization problem is the problem to find among all feasible solutions for some problem the best one. ... Computability theory is the branch of theoretical computer science that studies which problems are computationally solvable using different models of computation. ... In computability theory and computational complexity theory, a decision problem is a question in some formal system with a yes-or-no answer. ...

See also

• Concern
• Heuristic
• How to Solve It
• Question
• Problem-based learning
• Problematization

In computer science, a concern is a general term that refers to any particular piece of interest or focus in a program. ... For other uses, see Heuristic (disambiguation). ... George Pólyas 1945 book How to Solve It (ISBN 0-691-08097-6) is a small volume describing methods of problem solving. ... For other uses, see Question (disambiguation). ... Problem-based learning (PBL) is a pedagogical strategy of active learning often used in higher education, but it can be adapted for use in K-12 education. ... To problematize a term, text, opinion, ideology, identity, or person is to consider the concrete or existential elements of those involved as challenges (problems) that invite the people involved to transform those situations. ...

References