Topic Title

Bachelor of Technology
Computer Science and Engineering

Submitted By

NAME (ROLL NUMBER)

August, 2022

Techno Main Salt Lake

EM-4/1, Sector-V, Salt Lake
Kolkata- 700091
West Bengal
India
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction
2. Body
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
……..
……..
3. Conclusion
4. References

Please use Times New Roman (FONT), 12 (FONT SIZE) and

Justified Alignment, Numbering should be Automatic

1. Introduction
The General Problem Solver (GPS) was a theory of human problem solving stated in the form of
a simulation program (Ernst & Newell, 1969; Newell & Simon, 1972). This program and the
associated theoretical framework had a significant impact on the subsequent direction of

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cognitive psychology. It also introduced the use of productions as a method for specifying
cognitive models.

The theoretical framework was information processing and attempted to explain all behavior as a
function of memory operations, control processes and rules. The methodology for testing the
theory involved developing a computer simulation and then comparing the results of the
simulation with human behavior in a given task. Such comparisons also made use of protocol
analysis (Ericsson & Simon, 1984) in which the verbal reports of a person solving a task are used
as indicators of cognitive processes.

GPS was intended to provide a core set of processes that could be used to solve a variety of
different types of problems. The critical step in solving a problem with GPS is the definition of
the problem space in terms of the goal to be achieved and the transformation rules. Using a
means-end-analysis approach, GPS would divide the overall goal into subgoals and attempt to
solve each of those. Some of the basic solution rules include: (1) transform one object into
another, (2) reduce the different between two objects, and (3) apply an operator to an object. One
of the key elements need by GPS to solve problems was an operator-difference table that
specified what transformations were possible.

2. Body
Application

While GPS was intended to be a general problem-solver, it could only be applied to “well-defined”
problems such as proving theorems in logic or geometry, word puzzles and chess. However, GPS was
the basis other theoretical work by Newell et al. such as SOAR and GOMS. Newell (1990) provides a
summary of how this work evolved.

Example

Here is a trace of GPS solving the logic problem to transform L1= R*(-P => Q) into L2=(Q \/ P)*R (Newell
& Simon, 1972, p420):

Goal 1: Transform L1 into LO

Goal 2: Reduce difference between L1 and L0

Goal 3: Apply R1 to L1

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Goal 4: Transform L1 into condition (R1)

Produce L2: (-P => Q) *R

Goal 5: Transform L2 into L0

Goal 6: Reduce difference between left(L2) and left(L0)

Goal 7: Apply R5 to left(L2)

Goal 8: Transform left(L2) into condition(R5)

Goal 9: Reduce difference between left(L2) and condition(R5)

Rejected: No easier than Goal 6

Goal 10: Apply R6 to left(L2)

Goal 11: Transform left(L2) into condition(R5)

Produce L3: (P \/ Q) *R

Goal 12: Transform L3 into L0

Goal 13: Reduce difference between left(L3) and left(L0)

Goal 14: Apply R1 to left(L3)

Goal 15: Transform left(L3) into condition(R1)

Produce L4: (Q \/ P)*R

Goal 16: Transform L4 into L0

Identical, QED

Principles

Problem-solving behavior involves means-ends-analysis, i.e., breaking a problem down into

subcomponents (subgoals) and solving each of those.

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3. Conclusion

The General Problem Solver (GPS) was an AI program

proposed by Herbert Simon, J.C. Shaw, and Allen Newell. It
was the first useful computer program that came into
existence in the AI world. The goal was to make it work as a
universal problem-solving machine. Of course there were
many software programs that existed before, but these
programs performed specific tasks. GPS was the first program
that was intended to solve any general problem. GPS was
supposed to solve all the problems using the same base
algorithm for every problem.

4. References
Ericsson, K. & Simon, H. (1984). Protocol Analysis. Cambridge, MA: MIT
Press.

Ernst, G. & Newell, A. (1969). GPS: A Case Study in Generality and Problem
Solving. New York: Academic Press.

Newell, A. (1990). Unified Theories of Cognition. Cambridge, MA: Harvard

University Press.

Newell, A. & Simon, H. (1972). Human Problem Solving. Englewood Cliffs,

NJ: Prentice-Hall.

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