General Problem Solver

computer model

Also known as: GPS

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The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 29, 2026

Quick Summary

The General Problem Solver (GPS) was a computer model developed in the late 1950s by Allen Newell, J. Clifford Shaw, and Herbert Simon. It was designed to solve a wide variety of puzzles using a trial-and-error approach. GPS was an early landmark in artificial intelligence research, focusing on logical reasoning and problem-solving capabilities. A key limitation of GPS and similar early AI programs was their lack of learning ability, meaning their intelligence was entirely dependent on the information explicitly programmed by their creators.1

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means-ends analysis
History
…scientists called their model the General Problem Solver (GPS). GPS would recursively apply heuristic techniques in solving a given problem and conduct a means-ends assessment after each subproblem was solved to determine whether it was closer to the intended solution. Through this process, GPS could find solutions to mathematical theorems,…
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…scientists called their model the General Problem Solver (GPS). GPS would recursively apply heuristic techniques in solving a given problem and conduct a means-ends assessment after each subproblem was solved to determine whether it was closer to the intended solution. Through this process, GPS could find solutions to mathematical theorems,…
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human intelligence
Cognitive theories
Called the General Problem Solver, it could find solutions to a wide range of fairly structured problems, such as logical proofs and mathematical word problems. This research, based on a heuristic procedure called “means-ends analysis,” led Newell and Simon to propose a general theory of problem solving…
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Called the General Problem Solver, it could find solutions to a wide range of fairly structured problems, such as logical proofs and mathematical word problems. This research, based on a heuristic procedure called “means-ends analysis,” led Newell and Simon to propose a general theory of problem solving…
Read More

Allen Newell
Their next project was the General Problem Solver (GPS), which first ran in 1957. Given a problem, GPS would repeatedly apply heuristic techniques (modifiable “rules of thumb”) and then perform a “means-ends” analysis after each step to verify whether it was closer to the desired solution.
Read More
Their next project was the General Problem Solver (GPS), which first ran in 1957. Given a problem, GPS would repeatedly apply heuristic techniques (modifiable “rules of thumb”) and then perform a “means-ends” analysis after each step to verify whether it was closer to the desired solution.
Read More