Principles of resolving technical contradictions
Identification of inventive principles
To transform the model of a problem stated as a technical contradiction, principles developed by G. S. Altshuller are applied.
Each inventive principle is a generalization of the experience of numerous generations of inventors and describes the transformation necessary to improve a specific parameter of the system without compromising any other of its parameters. To state the principles, thousands of inventions were analysed, and the framework of addressing issues were identified, notably for various areas of engineering.
It was possible to find such principles because the author of the method applied a particular approach to the analysis of patent and technical data. S/he considered not so much the specific technical features of the solutions as s/he attempted to understand the inventor’s logic, the meaning of his/her actions when transiting to a new improved version of the system. At the same time, the in-depth contradiction resulting in the issue emergence was reconstructed, and the method for resolving the contradiction was discovered.
Specifically, psychological inertia states: harmful phenomena should be addressed when solving a problem. However, it is often useful to think about how to turn a harmful action to the advantage of the system being improved. Any action is an energy burst but we can control the useful action and cannot control the harmful one. In this case, the principles provide for several transformation options. First of all, use the harmful factors generated by the machine or the environment to get the positive effect. If it is impossible to use the harmful action, it should be removed, e.g., by adding it to other harmful actions. If it is impossible to remove the harmful action, it should be intensified to the degree that it is no longer harmful.
All of these methods were reduced to specific recommendations on which basis inventive principles were stated.
List of principles
This list includes 40 principles of resolving technical contradictions developed by G. S. Altshuller.