Means-End Analysis

Means-end analysis solves a problem by repeatedly identifying the difference between the current and goal states and reducing it.

One problem — moving apartments in three weeks with a fixed budget — solved the whole way through: goal state specified, current state specified, largest difference identified, subgoal created, and the loop run again on the subgoal. Includes the pass where a subgoal turns out to conflict with the budget and the analysis restarts one level up.