Design Problem Solving by Functional Abstraction

Abstract The paper introduces the Functional Abstraction paradigm as a concept to solve complex design problems. Design problem solving can be considered as selecting an appropriate model from a space of possible models M. By Functional Abstraction a simplified view ̂ M, ̂ M ≪ M, onto the design space M is constructed. I. e., Functional Abstraction follows a model simplification strategy in order to make a synthesis problem tractable. Aside from a description of the paradigm the paper outlines two design problems where the paradigm of Functional Abstraction has been applied.