Throughout the ancient and modern, the history of human and technological progress, both at home and abroad, is almost a history of dealing with contradictory problems: solve the “contradiction between the limit of human ability and the unlimited growth of human needs” through the development of science and technology and make many seemingly impossible things possible.
Contradiction means that people’s goals cannot be achieved under the given conditions. They exist in production, economy, military, diplomacy, management and even the daily life. Contradictory problems are ubiquitous. The ideas to solve contradictory problems, e.g. Cao Chong weighing an elephant, empty for strategy, Archimedes weighing the gold crown, etc., are put forward by smart people after thinking hard. Is it possible to help people deal with contradictory problems using the computer and network by programming?
In 1983, Chinese scholar Cai Wen published the paper “Extension Set and Non-compatible Problems” in China’s Science Exploration Journal, which initiated this new research direction called contradictory problems intelligent processing. For 30 years, a large number of scholars gradually gathered from home and abroad to study the basic work to achieve this goal. They put forward the formalized system to represent everything, including information and knowledge in the world, represent various contradictory problems in the world with the system and built the extension models; established the extension theory and extension innovation methods by studying the rules to deal with contradictory problems; applied it to the fields of engineering, information technology, economy and management and formed the extension engineering. Extension theory, extension innovation methods and extension engineering constitute the new subject, Extenics.
Extenics is a science that solves contradictory problems by studying the possibility of extension of matters and the rules and methods of innovation with formalized models.It is the basis of the contradictory problems intelligent processing and the bridge between natural science and social science. In order to solve contradictory problems, it has extended mathematics, system theory and logic theory in five aspects:
(1) It has extended the scope of mathematics. The research objects of Extenics are contradictory problems, which is an extension of mathematics that basically studies compatible problems. In order to deal with contradictory problems, Extenics extends the mathematical “study on quantitative relation and space form” to “study on logic cells —basic-element, including object, its characters and its quantity value” and extends mathematical models to extension models that solve contradictory problems.
(2) It has extended the set theory. Mathematics which has been studied for thousands of years is built on the basis of cantor set theory, however, cantor set only studies the static classification of things but cannot express how to transform problems from the class of contradictions to that of non-contradictions. Extenics puts forward the concept of extension set, studies the classification under transformation and diversifies the set theory.
(3) It has extended the logic theory. Neither formal logic nor dialectical logic can be reasoning tools to solve contradictory problems, Extenics researchers combined the strengths of formalized formal logic and the connotation, extension and change of dialectical logic in study of things and finally established the extension logic. It can be reasoning tools that enable computer and network help solve contradictory problems in production. Moreover, it creates conditions for better extension of human intelligence.
(4) It has extended the function theory. The concept “distance” in real variable function limits description of the change process to resolve contradictory problems. So Extenics established the concept “extension distance” and extended real variable function to dependent function. It also develops the qualitative description “intra-class sameness” to “intra-class variation”, as a result of which, thing’s quantitative change and qualitative change which represent the process to solve contradictory problems with quantified calculation formula.
(5) It has extended the system theory. System theory built the approach to solve contradictory problems systematically. However, the solving of a lot of contradictory problems utilized the non-material part, latent part and opposite part of objects, which have spanned the scope of system theory, so Extenics has extended the system theory to the study of structure of objects in four perspectives, namely the materiality, systematization, dynamism and contrariety, formed conjugation theory and methods, which provide the basis for researching various ideas to solve contradictory problems.
Because of these extensions, new branches like extension mathematics, conjugation theory, extension logic, extension strategy generation, extension data mining and management extension engineering, etc., have come into being. Extenics is gradually advancing towards constructing new group of subjects.
All walks of life will encounter various contradictory problems. All sorts of new products, new projects and new technologies are alsoput forward tosolve contradictory problems. Extenics researchers, therefore, put forward a new methodology and formed extension innovation methods system to provide theories and methods for different fields to solve contradictory problems and will inevitably provide methods and techniques for helping people conceiving new products with computer.
Looking back at the history of science and technology and industrial revolution, we find that the use of machines, such as steam engine and textile machine, etc., in the first industrial revolution was the extension of human hands; the motion of automobiles and trains in the second industrial revolution was the extension of the human legs; telephone was the extension of ears; television was the extension of eyes; computer and network were the extension of part functions of human brain; and the intelligent management of contradictory problems is the extension of human intelligence (problem solving ability). Extenics carries out basic research for extension of human intelligence.
For 30 years, the research of Extenics has developed from a person into a domestic and overseas research team, from an article into a new subject and from China to the world. This is a subject crossing philosophy, mathematics and engineering. Seeing from the application scope, like the information theory, cybernetics and system theory, it is a cross subject with a wide range of application.
We cheer for the emergency and development of the subject!
The cup of success often locates at the end of wilderness strewn with thorns and there is no existing road to follow. Those cower or are unwilling to make sacrifices will always wandering in the wilderness. Only indomitable ones who can endure various hardships can carve out a new way here.
Extenics researchers have carved out the way to intelligent management of contradictory problems and will continue working harder, learning from scientific and technological workers of old subjects, develop the research of intelligent management of contradictory problems, further improve Extenics and move towards internationalization, socialization and networking; enable the computer and network to help the mankind deal with problems and realize the extension of human intelligence with people from all circles of life.
International Symposium on Extenics and Innovation Methods
On August 18, 2013
