General Problem Solver (GPS)

Why It Was Important

GPS introduced means-ends analysis, a heuristic strategy that constantly compares the current state to the goal state and applies operators to reduce the difference. While it struggled with complex, real-world problems (combinatorial explosion), it influenced decades of cognitive modeling and symbolic AI.

Who Invented It

Allen Newell & Herbert A. Simon

Founding figures of artificial intelligence and cognitive science.

Applications

• Means-Ends Analysis
• Cognitive Modeling
• Planning Algorithms