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Spaces

Spaces An important notion is that of a creative space. We consider a creative space to be a set of experiences (cases). Most creative answers will be found when we reason in creative spaces containing experiences further away from our original problem.

Because the set of cases is potentially very large, we need to group them into spaces. These spaces are also called by the problems we are solving which need different levels of creativity. So, five creative spaces were defined: current problem solving, innovation, creation, speculation and divagation.

Current problem solving space

In this space the system is supposed to just look for a similar problem already solved and provide the solution found for that problem. To allow for this kind of reasoning this space is composed only by those cases which have a problem description exactly equal to the new problem's. It is a very small space, usually empty or containing only one case. As it is expected the solutions found in this space are not creative at all.

Innovation

Innovation consists in making small changes in something. To allow innovation the cases in this space are not so close to the new problem.

By definition this space contains all cases whose situation description is composed exactly by the same attributes as the new problem - although possibly with different values. This cases are expected to be very close to the new problem and probably are capable of providing us with a good solution with only some small changes. The innovation space contains the current problem solving space and solution found in it are potentially more creative.

Creation

To create we need to use more knowledge, we need to know something more about what we are creating. The creation space works with causal knowledge contained in the explanations of cases.

This space contains cases which have at least one complete footprint. It is expected that using explanations as a base we can build creative solutions. In this space, solutions found are potentially more creative but the risk of finding bizarre solutions increases.

Speculation

This is 'an enlarged creation space'. To allow speculative reasoning it contains cases very apart from the problem to solve. In the speculation space are all cases, from the case library, which contain at least one incomplete footprint. This space completely contains the creation space and the risk of finding bizarre solutions grows even more.

Divagation

Divagation is a process in which constraints in the search space are relaxed. To allow divagation, this space contains all cases that have some relation to the new problem. It is enough for a case to belong to this space that it contains in its situation description one attribute in common with the new problem. The probability of finding an useful solution in this space is very low, but it is here that potentially the most creative answers can be found.

Relationship between spaces

Current problem solving space is contained in innovation space. As we are, in the innovation space, considering only the attributes and not their values it's this is only natural to happen. Moving to the creation space we see this space may not contain all cases in the innovation space. This is due to the space definition. The creation space may not contain a case whose situation description is exactly the same as the new problem's. That case is not included if it doesn't contain explanations as stated in the definition of this space. There is a discontinuity in the growth of spaces because from this moment on, causal knowledge contained in explanations is considered. Spaces start to be defined not only in formal knowledge terms but also in inferential knowledge terms. To allow speculation it will be still necessary the support of knowledge though not necessarily so specific. This is why the speculation space is just an enlargement of the creation space. Finally, the divagation space contains all the other spaces so that in allows divagation on any case that has some relation to the new problem.