MENTAL MODEL · M8278

TRIZ - Theory of Inventive Problem Solving

SystemsHigh supportSystems Theory

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Updated 2026-08-11

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INTRODUCTION

English translation pending.

CORE DEFINITION

TRIZ, the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving, was developed by Genrich Altshuller from onward after studying hundreds of thousands of patents. Its core proposition is that technical systems evolve according to recurring patterns, and that most inventive problems reduce to contradictions, such as needing a part to be both strong and light, which a limited set of principles can resolve. The key qualification is that the method depends on accurate modeling: the contradiction must be stated correctly before the matrix lookup yields useful principles.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

- Use contradiction framing: state the trade-off as improving one parameter while worsening another. - Use matrix lookup: locate the two parameters and read the recommended principles. - Use principle transfer: adapt a suggested principle from another industry to your own case.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Inventive problems are hard because improving one parameter degrades another, and the obvious response is to compromise. Analysis of patents showed that strong solutions instead break the trade-off, and that the same small set of moves recurs across unrelated industries. Encoding those moves as principles lets a solver retrieve candidates instead of waiting for inspiration. Because retrieval is keyed to the contradiction rather than to the domain, solutions transfer across fields, and the search becomes systematic rather than dependent on individual genius.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Practice this model in one real situation:

State the technical contradiction: which parameter improves and which degrades. 2. Map both parameters to the standard parameter list. 3. Read the recommended principles from the contradiction matrix. 4. Adapt the principles into concrete designs and evaluate them. 5. Iterate the whole cycle again if the contradiction still persists after testing.

Check to track your progress (stored locally)

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Source support: Explicit

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en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRIZZH · Explicit
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