AUTOMATED PROBLEM FORMULATOR AND SOLVER

A computer implemented apparatus to identify problems that exist in a real-world system and to assist in finding a solution to such problems. The apparatus has an input device for receiving a description of the real-world system as input. A memory device stores a graph being a representation of the description of the real-world system. A processor produces the graph representing the description of the real-world system. The processor also determines if the graph complies with a set of structural rules and parses the graph to produce an ordered list of problem statements, each problem statement in the ordered list of problem statements identifying a problem that exists in the real-world system. The memory also stores a network of operators, each operator linked to at least one other operator in the network of operators. Each operator includes a recommendation for solving a problem, and can also include an example of the application of the recommendation. The links between the operators represent historical routes to solutions to problems. The processor enables a user to traverse the network of operators to locate at least one operator relevant to the problem to be solved.