Conditional Problem Solving

Conditional problem solving refers to the process of finding solutions to a problem based on certain conditions or criteria. It involves analyzing the given conditions, identifying the problem, and applying logical reasoning to derive a solution. This type of problem-solving often requires critical thinking, deductive reasoning, and the ability to make informed decisions based on given information.

Example: Solving a Puzzle

Let's consider a typical puzzle scenario where you need to find the correct order of a sequence of events based on a set of given conditions. This example will help illustrate how conditional problem solving works.

Given Information:
- There are five friends: Alice, Bob, Cathy, David, and Emily.
- They each have a different favorite color: red, green, blue, yellow, and orange.
- They each have a different favorite food: pizza, pasta, sushi, burger, and ice cream.
- The following clues are provided:

1. Alice's favorite color is red, and she loves pizza.
2. Bob's favorite food is ice cream, and he dislikes the color green.
3. Cathy's favorite color is blue, and her favorite food is sushi.
4. David loves the color yellow, but he dislikes pasta.
5. Emily's favorite food is burger, and she hates the color orange.

Solution:

1. Start by analyzing the given clues and making a list of all the information provided:

Alice: favorite color = red, favorite food = pizza
Bob: favorite color = ?, favorite food = ice cream
Cathy: favorite color = blue, favorite food = sushi
David: favorite color = yellow, favorite food = ?, dislikes pasta
Emily: favorite color = ?, favorite food = burger, hates orange

2. Use deductive reasoning to fill in the missing information based on the given clues:

Bob dislikes the color green, so his favorite color cannot be green. Therefore, his favorite color must be either red, blue, yellow, or orange.

David dislikes pasta, so his favorite food cannot be pasta. Therefore, his favorite food must be either pizza, sushi, burger, or ice cream.

Emily hates the color orange, so her favorite color cannot be orange. Therefore, her favorite color must be either red, green, blue, or yellow.

3. Apply the remaining clues to narrow down the options:

From clue 3, Cathy's favorite color is blue, and her favorite food is sushi.

From clue 4, David loves the color yellow.

From clue 5, Emily's favorite food is a burger.

4. Use the process of elimination to determine the remaining options:

Alice's favorite color is red, and her favorite food is pizza.

Bob's favorite color cannot be red or blue since those colors are already assigned to Alice and Cathy. Bob's favorite color must be either yellow or green. However, David's favorite color is yellow, so Bob's favorite color must be green.

David's favorite food cannot be pizza or sushi since those foods are already assigned to Alice and Cathy. David's favorite food must be either burger or ice cream. However, Emily's favorite food is a burger, so David's favorite food must be ice cream.

With this information, we can now determine the complete order:

Alice: red, pizza
Bob: green, ice cream
Cathy: blue, sushi
David: yellow, burger
Emily: orange, pasta