Context of Problem-Solving Systems

Considerable effort has been expanded in attempts to combine the power found in algorithmic languages with the power found in program libraries. However, most of these attempts to construct problem-solving systems for a particular class of users have failed to achieve their objective of providing the user with the potential benefits inherent in such systems. This paper attempts to define and place problem-solving systems in a general context, and thereby shows when the potential for failure or success is high.