PHYCS 2200 - Problem Solving Across the Disciplines

Case studies in problem-solving drawn from such fields as political science, sociology, history , psychology, anthropology, linguistics, geography, philosophy, communications, business, geology, law, medicine, engineering, mathematics, and the sciences are presented. Attacks on such diverse issues utilize a common set of problem-solving heuristics (tips, cues, suggestions, strategies) made explicit during the search for solutions. Also presented are a number of problem-solving tools, each of which is used extensively in many of the disciplines - tools such as probability theory, decision-making, game theory, model-making, graph theory, and the logic found in the use of ordinary language.