Problem
A problem is a complex theoretical or practical question that requires study and resolution; a contradictory situation that appears as opposing positions in the explanation of certain phenomena, objects, or processes and requires an adequate theory for its resolution; it is an obstacle to achieving a set goal. A situation is considered a problem situation when an activity cannot be carried out using previously accepted methods, and achieving the activity's result under changed conditions is difficult or impossible; it is a mismatch between the existing and the required (target) state of a system, given the state of the environment at a particular moment in time.
Problem Situation
A problem situation is:
- a real confluence of circumstances, a state of affairs with which someone is dissatisfied and would like to change.
- the realization that a problem exists, arising during the performance of a practical or theoretical action or task, when previously acquired knowledge proves insufficient, leading to a subjective need for new knowledge that is fulfilled through purposeful cognitive activity.
A problem situation, as an obstacle to achieving a goal, has the following characteristics:
- a high degree of uncertainty (lack or absence of information)
- the presence of explicit or significant contradictions in the description or assessment of the situation
- being poorly structured or unstructured
- the impossibility or difficulty of formalizing the problem situation
Systemic Problems
The concept of a systemic problem is central to modern systems analysis theory. It is impossible to define this concept with a single, exhaustive formulation. However, by summarizing the experience of scientific research, we can identify a number of characteristics that, taken together, allow for the identification of problems in this class. These characteristics include:
- Being unstructured or poorly structured.
- Being non-formalized or difficult to formalize
- Contradiction
- Uncertainty
- Ambiguity
- Complexity
Structuring and Formalization of Problems
The concept of the degree of problem structuring, introduced by H. Simon and A. Newell (1958), relates to the varying combination of quantitative and qualitative, objective and subjective information that describes a problem.
Well-structured, or well-formalizable, problems can be formulated quantitatively; their most significant dependencies are expressed through objective models and represented in symbolic form, where symbols take on numerical values. Unstructured, or non-formalizable, problems have only qualitative, verbal descriptions based on a person's subjective judgments; quantitative relationships between the problem's key characteristics are absent or unknown. Poorly structured, or ill-formalizable, problems occupy an intermediate position, combining both quantitative and qualitative components and dependencies, with a predominant role played by the ill-defined and insufficiently known aspects of the problem.
Uncertainty
The substantive dynamics of systemic problems can only be described through possible scenarios or alternative future developments, which lack exhaustive data regarding the circumstances surrounding the problem, its connections to other problems, and the resources needed for its resolution. It is impossible to anticipate all situations that will be encountered while resolving a systemic problem. The initially visible part of a systemic problem carries only a small fraction of the total information needed for its resolution; the rest remains hidden from the researcher and begins to emerge only during the investigation itself. Furthermore, systemic problems are characterized by a wide range of non-obvious methods and techniques for their resolution, but the complete set of possible options cannot be determined in advance.
Complexity
Systemic problems touch upon the interests of many scientific disciplines, but no single discipline can offer effective methods for their holistic resolution. The reason lies in the relatively narrow focus of traditional scientific disciplines, which from the outset—and most importantly, deliberately—limit their scope of interest, as it is believed that this is the only way to obtain any significant practical results. Systems analysis is built on a different conceptual foundation. The scope of scientific and practical interests should not be confined to the framework of a single theory, regardless of the predictive power it claims to have. A systemic problem can be resolved effectively only by employing a correspondingly complex set of scientific methods and knowledge that encompasses, with its cognitive capabilities, the full diversity of the object under study's aspects and manifestations.
The knowledge and methods of different sciences cannot become an integrated complex on their own. A certain system-forming mechanism is required, capable of managing its individual components, coordinating partial research results, and concentrating efforts on the most important areas. Fulfilling the functions of such a mechanism is the primary purpose of systems analysis.
Multifaceted Nature
Systemic problems affect a multitude of diverse aspects of the substance in which they arise and develop, and these aspects are interconnected by mutual influence. Attempts to simplify a problem by excluding so-called "non-essential" aspects can lead to errors. At the same time, striving for a complete accounting of all aspects makes the problem unmanageable and practically unsolvable. Within the parameter space of any systemic problem, there exists a region of compromise, the search for which constitutes one of the most important pragmatic tasks of systems analysis.
See Also