Beyond Simon's Means-Ends Analysis: Natural Creativity and the Unanswered `Why' in the Design of Intelligent Systems for Problem-Solving

  • Authors:
  • Sukanto Bhattacharya;Yonggui Wang;Dongming Xu

  • Affiliations:
  • Deakin Business School, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia;UQ Business School, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia;UQ Business School, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

  • Venue:
  • Minds and Machines
  • Year:
  • 2010

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Abstract

Goal-directed problem solving as originally advocated by Herbert Simon's means-ends analysis model has primarily shaped the course of design research on artificially intelligent systems for problem-solving. We contend that there is a definite disregard of a key phase within the overall design process that in fact logically precedes the actual problem solving phase. While systems designers have traditionally been obsessed with goal-directed problem solving, the basic determinants of the ultimate desired goal state still remain to be fully understood or categorically defined. We propose a rational framework built on a set of logically inter-connected conjectures to specifically recognize this neglected phase in the overall design process of intelligent systems for practical problem-solving applications.