Gerhard Fischer and Hal Eden: ÒDesign, Learning, and CollaborationÓ
Ñ Spring Semester 2004

Assignment 4

The Importance of Representations in Design and

Simon's "Sciences of the Artificial"

due:        
Monday, Feb 2, 2002; 1:00pm on the class website

1.     Name the
two most important things/concepts
which you learned from the reading the chapter "The Architecture of Complexity"

1.1.         
give a one paragraph explanation why you consider these concepts important

1.2.         
are the concepts relevant to your work, to your interest? if yes,
why?

2) The Mutilated "8x8" Matrix

The Problem:

The next page shows you a mutilated "8x8" matrix (the two
opposing corners cut out) and a domino block. One domino block covers exactly
two fields of the 8x8 matrix.

Note: It is straightforward that one can use 32 domino blocks to cover a complete
"8x8" matrix.

Question: Can one cover the mutilated Ò8x8Ó matrix with 31 domino
blocks?

Remark:span style='font-weight:
normal'> the major objective of this assignment is that you spend some effort
trying to solve this problem and answering the questions below Ñ it is not
so important that you will succeed solving the problem!

Also: engage in some collaborative efforts solving it

Please do the following (please structure your answer
accordingly Ñ thanks):

1.     try to find
an answer to this problem! ˆ document
briefly your thinking Ñ including all
the important intermediate steps and failing attempts (i.e., create a Òthink-aloud
protocolÓ)

2.     which resources
did you use to solve the problem?

3.     which process
did you use?

4.     which practice
(of you or others) did you use?

5.     could computers
be useful to solve this problem?

6.     what have
you learned solving the problem: in general and for our course?

7.     what have
you learned not being able to solve the problem: in general and for our course?