The Importance of Reductionism In The Problem Solving Process
Reductionism is a type of philosophy that can be applied to the problem solving process. It basically states that complex objects can be simplified in a way that makes them easier to understand. Reductionism can be use for virtually anything, but it is commonly used to refer to biology, theories, or objects.
It is generally used to refer to scientific problems, but it can also be used for any problem that you encounter. The Reductionism thought process can be defined in the expression "complexity equals compound simplicity."
Many people find that they have a hard time solving problems because they try to tackle the problem head on. A much better method of solving problems is to reduce them to a fundamental level that makes them easier to solve. Once the problem has been broken down, you can look at the parts that make up the composition to understand the nature of the problem. Reductionism is a technique that can work well in mathematics. Many teachers fail to simplify problems in a way that is easy for their students to solve. Because of this, many people consider math to be harder than it actually is.
Many students feel that some teachers may even intentionally make math seem more difficult so that a certain segment of the class may fail. Whether this is true or not, making problems more complex than they are will not help you solve them. To solve a complex problem, you will want to simplify it as much as possible. Being able to reduce the problem will make it easier for you to come up with relevant solutions. Reductionism is a philosophy that is broken down into a number of categories. Ontological reductionism states that everything in existence can be broken down into smaller units that will have a predictable behavior.
Methodological reductionism states that scientific ideas should be broken down into the smallest possible units, but should not be broken down further than that. If you have ever heard anyone talking about finding the "root of the problem," they were speaking in terms of a reductionist. However, this is not just a technique that has to be applied to scientific problems. Reductionism can be used for virtually anything. For example, imagine if you have a dog that likes to chase cars. You know that it is a problem, because doing it may cause the dog to be killed by a moving car. How do you solve it?
There are a number of things you can do. But to use the approach of a reductionist, you would want to reduce the problem into a form that is simple. The first thing you should wander is why the dog likes chasing cars? This answer may lead you to look at the breed of the dog. Some dog breeds are more likely to chase moving objects than others, because they were bred to hunt, and have a natural instinct to do it. To solve the problem, you would simply want to keep the dog away from moving objects. You could place it in a yard, or you could train it not to chase things.
In a sense, you have used reductionism to solve a problem. Because you know the underlying cause, you can take action to correct it. The same thing can be used in math. If you run into a problem you don’t understand, it is likely that you are looking at the problem in its whole. Instead of looking at the entire problem, why not start by looking at a certain aspect of the problem? Once you understand that aspect, move on to the next until you understand the entire problem.
If you own a motorcycle that started having mechanical problems, would you immediately run out and buy a new one? It is likely that you wouldn’t, because you know that it is likely that it is a "part" of the motorcycle that is having a problem, not the entire motorcycle itself. This is the way you should use a reductionist approach to solve other problem. Break the problem down and look at the different parts. By doing this, the problem is likely to become easier to solve.
