Using re ection techniques for exible problem solving ( with examples from diagnosis )

Flexible problem solving consists of the dynamic selection and connguration of problem solving methods for a particular problem type, depending on the particular problem and the goal of problem solving. In this paper, we propose an architecture that supports such exible problem solving automatically. For this purpose, problem solving methods are described in a uniform way, by an abstract model of components , which together deene the functionality of the methods. Such an abstract model is used for dynamic selection and connguration of the problem solving methods. The proposed architecture for exible problem solving consists of well known reeection techniques: two object-meta relations, a deenable naming mechanism and the axiomhood and theoremhood reeection rules. We have succeeded in using standard meta-architecture techniques to enable exible problem solving.