System Reset
Monday, January 19th, 2009 (4:41 am), under Uncategorized.Problem When do I give up on a problem to seek an alternative solution, or a new problem? For example, I spent two days thinking through a math problem. A week or so for an information theory problem. A few weeks at a programming puzzle. A few years at my research topic. The sheer exultation at a solution makes it pointless to account for the time invested, but it needs to be subjected to kaizen. When should a light go off demanding a system reset?
Opinion A problem is solved. Persist at it. An error needs to be eliminated. Spotting the difference is challenging, and some questions that may help are:
- Can I communicate (with whom?) my way through the problem? If yes, you’re staring at an error.
- Have I decomposed my approach into smaller testable steps? If no, this is the first error. Break it down, and look for further issues.
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