Computer Assisted Problem Solving Environment (PSE)

Introduction

Problem Solving Environment (PSE) concept provides integrated human-friendly innovative computational services and facilities for easy incorporation of novel solution methods to solve a target class of problems. For example, a PSE generates a computer program automatically to solve differential equations (Boonmee et al., 1998a; Boonmee et al., 1998b; Fujio et al., 1998; Fujita et al., 2000; Gallopoulos, et al., 1991; Gallopoulos et al., 1994; Hirayama et al., 1988; Houstis et al., 1992; Kawata et al., 2000; Okochi et al., 1994; Umetani, 1985; Rice et al., 1984). PSE is an innovative concept to enrich science, human life, engineering, production and our society toward a programming-free environment in computing science. In the PSE concept, human concentrates on target problems themselves and works on solutions, and a part of application of solution, which can be solved mechanically, is performed by computers or machines or software.

Even today human power still contributes greatly to develop and write a new software. For example, in scientific researches scientific discoveries would be supported by theory, experiments and computer simulations. New researches tend to require new computer programs to simulate phenomena concerned. In another example, in developing new products engineers would also need new computer programs to develop the products cost-effectively. They may have to develop the new programs or learn how to use the programs for the product development. So researchers and engineers may write or develop the new computer programs or learn how to use the programs by themselves. They like to devote themselves to solve their target problems, but not to develop or learn the computer programs.

In addition, computer simulations became the third important method after theoretical and experimental methods in science and engineering. Computer assisted problem solving is one of key methods to promote innovations in science and engineering, and contributes to enrich our society and our life from scientific and engineering sides. PSE research activities had started to enhance the programming power in 1970’s.

The PSE-relating studies were started in 1970’s to provide a higher-level programming language than Fortran, COBOL, ALGOL, PL/I and others in scientific computations. The trend at the time was natural to deliver more human-friendly programming environment beyond the higher-level languages shown above. Then the PSE research activity was started as well as Computer Assisted Engineering (CAE) and software library. After intensive developments in computer hardware and also of computer algorithms, researchers and engineers had expected an innovation in program writing power. However, the enhancement in programming power was relatively weak compared with the enormous evolutions in hardware and algorithm power enhancements.

At present PSE covers a rather wide area, for example, program generation support PSE, education support PSE, CAE software learning support PSE, grid/cloud computing support PSE, job execution support PSE, learning support PSE, uncertainty management in scientific computing, PSE for PSE generation support (PSE for PSE), etc. The chapter includes a brief history of PSE, example PSE study activities and a future of PSE, including uncertainty management in scientific computing.