UNDERSTANDING AND AUTOMATING ALGORITHM DESIGN

Algorithm design is a challenging intellectual activity that provides a rich source of observation and a test domain for a theory of problem-solving behavior. This paper describes a model of the algorithm design process based on observations of human design. The adaptation of that model to automation in the DESIGNER system helps us understand human design better, and the automation process helps validate the model. Issues discussed include the problem spaces used for design, the loci of knowledge and problem-solving power, and the relationship to other methods of algorithm design and to automatic programming as a whole I. The Algorithm Design Task A. Design as an Intellectual Activity Algorithm design is the process of coming up with a sketch, in a very high level language, of a computationally feasible techniqu