An activity aimed at identifying (
see identification ) a problem by specifying (a) the undesirable and problematic state currently occupied, (b) the resources currently available to move away from that problematic state, particularly the available courses of actions, the combinatorial
constraints on using them, etc., and (c) the criteria that need to be satisfied to say that a problem no longer exists or is solved. This activity defines the cognitive gap between what is and what is desirable and delineates the resources for closing it. Problem formulation is the creative and probably the more important step towards overcoming a problematic state than
problem-solving (
see intelligence ). A good definition of what the problem is, is believed to be more than half of the way towards its eventual elimination. (
Krippendorff )
