Man-computer problem solving with multilist

The paper reports on augmenting human problem solving capability in the day-to-day work in management or science through provision of information in a large integrated file with split second response to demands for data or program execution. A number of such systems have been developed. However, the description is in terms of the latest system developed at the University of Pennsylvania. In the first part, the paper deals with tbe Multilist technique for mass storage embedded in a system for remote consoles. Console services, a high level query language and interpreter for the query language, and a highly structured file organization are among the special subsystems described. The second part is devoted to illustrations of usages describing a number of the applications which can be concurrently serviced within the system. These include: an automatic library catalog, to illustrate storage and retrieval functions, and inventory management, to illustrate large scale management functions.