System and method for representing and solving numeric and symbolic problems

A machine system for representing a problem, comprising:

• an I/O device for entering one or more constructs, objects and attributes into the system, said constructs including defined targets and/or objectives of the problem;
• a digital computer for receiving and manipulating said constructs, objects and attributes from said I/O device, said digital computer comprising:
• an electronic memory device for storing said constructs, objects and attributes;
• first means for automatically forming form said one or more objects and one or more attributes a table of at least two dimensions having object-attribute pairs;
• second means for automatically implementing an object hierarchy using said one or more objects entered in said first means;
• a parser, wherein said parser parses and/or interprets said one or more constructs, to form one or more procedural attachments;
• third means for automatically attaching said one or more procedural attachments to said object-attribute pairs formed by said first means, to form dependencies between said object attribute pairs;
• fourth means for entering a value into a first object-attribute pair;
• fifth means for automatically changing the value of a second object-attribute pair related by said dependencies to a second object-attribute pair upon a change in value of said first object-attribute pair;
• sixth means for changing the values of all object-attribute pairs that are related by said dependencies to said second object-attribute pair;
• and
• seventh means for automatically indicating how close said targets and/or objectives of the problem are to being achieved.

A machine system for representing problems, comprising:

• a digital computer for receiving and manipulating values of object-attribute pairs, said digital computer comprising:
• an electronic memory device for storing said values of said object-attribute pairs;
• a tabular representation of at least two dimensions divided into rows and columns, wherein intersections of said rows and columns are represented by cells corresponding to said object-attribute pairs;
• means for associating a value with a first object-attribute pair;
• means for automatically associating an object-oriented dependency and/or a rule with said first object-attribute pair, wherein said object-oriented dependency and/or rule causes said value within said first object-attribute pair to affect a value within a second object-attribute pair;
• and
• means for allowing said first object-attribute pair to inherit said object-oriented dependency from a third object-attribute pair.

A machine system for solving a problem, comprising:

• an I/O device for entering information into the machine system in the form of user-defined targets and/or objectives;
• a digital computer for receiving and manipulating said user-defined targets and/or objectives from said I/O device, said digital computer comprising:
• an electronic memory device for storing said user-defined targets and/or objectives;
• first means for creating a combined objective function and constraints representative of said user-defined targets and/or objectives of the problem, said combined objective function containing decision variables capable of accepting a value;
• second means for moving the value of said combined objective function in a given direction by manipulating said values of said decision variables;
• third means for detecting active constraints;
• fourth means for causing said combined objective function to move parallel to said active constraints;
• fifth means for detecting non-linearity of said active constraints;
• and
• a lift factor to allow said combined objective function to accurately parallel said active constraints.

A method for operating a digital computer to represent and solve a problem, said digital computer having an electronic memory device for storing said problem, comprising the steps of:

• (1) entering objects and attributes to create a tabular representation of N dimensions in the electronic memory, where N>1;
• (2) automatically forming object-attribute pairs form said objects and said attributes of step (1);
• (3) automatically implementing an object hierarchy using said objects and said attributes of step (1);
• (5) entering constructs using an I/O device;
• (6) parsing and translating said constructs of step (5) into a machine evaluable form;
• (7) automatically forming procedural attachments from said evaluable constructs of step (6);
• (8) automatically attaching said procedural attachments of step (7) to said object-attribute pairs of step (3);
• (9) entering a value into selected ones of said object-attribute pairs of step (3);
• and
• (10) automatically varying values of said selected ones of said object-attribute pairs of step (3) to find at least a best balanced solution to the problem.

A machine system for representing problems, comprising:

• a digital computer for receiving and manipulating values of cells, said digital computer comprising:
• an electronic memory device for storing said values of said cells;
• a tabular representation of at least two dimensions divided into rows and columns, wherein intersections of said rows and columns are represented by said cells;
• means for automatically associating a value with a first cell;
• means for automatically associating an object-oriented dependency and/or a rule with said first cell, wherein said object-oriented dependency and/or rule causes said value within said first cell to affect a value within a second cell;
• and
• means for automatically representing dependencies from said first cell to a plurality of said second cell.

A machine system for representing and solving problems, comprising:

• an I/O device for entering information into the machine system in the form of objects, attributes, and constructs including formulas, triggers and rules;
• a digital computer for receiving and manipulating said constructs, objects and attributes from said I/O device, said digital computer comprising:
• an electronic memory device for storing said constructs, objects and attributes;
• a first module for parsing and translating said constructs entered by said first means into a machine evaluable form;
• a second module for automatically defining a tabular representation where said tabular representation contains cells corresponding to object-attribute pairs;
• a third module for automatically defining dependencies form said machine evaluable form;
• a fourth module for automatically attaching said constructs to object-attribute pairs and for attaching said dependencies of said fourth means;
• a fifth module for allowing said object-attribute pairs to inherit said constructs from other object-attribute pairs;
• a sixth module for automatically operating on related object-attribute pairs as a function of said defined constructs and dependencies;
• a seventh module for automatically utilizing weak and strong problem solving methods in conjunction with said dependencies and chosen values of said object-attribute pairs to find at least a best balanced solution to the problem;
• and
• an eighth module for using heuristics for dynamically interleaving said weak and strong methods.