science

Grey problem

Grey problem is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Grey problem rather than just read about it. In short: In IT, a grey problem (or, gray problem) is a problem where the causing technology is unknown or unconfirmed. Common grey problems are: Intermittent errors; Intermittent incorrect output, or; Transient performance problems.

Key takeaways

Grey problem belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Grey problem to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Grey problem from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In IT, a grey problem (or, gray problem) is a problem where the causing technology is unknown or unconfirmed. Common grey problems are:

Intermittent errors; Intermittent incorrect output, or; Transient performance problems. Because the causing technology is not clear, IT departments often find it difficult to allocate the problem to a Technical Support Team (platform team).

Background Combining frequency and causing technology information can provide a view of the complexity of a problem and so indicate how difficult it will be to investigate. The problems in each quadrant have certain characteristics:

Quadrant 1 In a typical IT department 80 to 90% of problems are solid faults that are easily tracked down to a causing technology. The appropriate technical or platform support team efficiently deals with these problems every day. Quadrant 2 Some recurring problems are due to a Known Error, or are obviously being caused by a particular hardware or software component. These problems are handled by technical support people working with suppliers. Quadrant 3 Every so often a one-off problem occurs, and the cause of these may never be found. Quadrant 4 The technical ownership of these issues is unclear and so they are referred to as “grey problems” i.e. not black and white.

Impact Grey problems have a significant impact on IT service, and:

Form the bulk of ongoing recurring problems Create a disproportionately high IT support workload Give a pointer to more serious problems to come Cause the business to adjust practices around the problem

ITIL perspective ITIL Service Operations implies that grey problems should be handled through a Problem Solving Group under the direction of the Problem Management function. In practice, even those IT organisations that have adopted ITIL rarely have a procedure to handle a grey problem, leaving it to bounce between Technical Support Teams as each denies that their technology is to blame.

See also ITIL, framework with best practices for administering IT services and assets ITIL v3 Problem Management ITIL v3 Incident Management, COBIT, a business-focused framework for information technology Rapid problem resolution diagnosis (RPR), problem diagnosis method designed to determine the root cause of IT problems

Further reading Offord, Paul (2011). RPR: A Problem Diagnosis Method for IT Professionals. Advance Seven Limited. ISBN 978-1-4478-4443-3. Grey problem case study Presentation to the British Computer Society

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Grey problem

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Grey problem claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Grey problem before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Grey problem ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Grey problem

In research: Grey problem appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Grey problem in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Grey problem is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Information technology management, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Grey problem outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Grey problem in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Grey problem means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Grey problem out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Grey problem in simple terms?

In IT, a grey problem (or, gray problem) is a problem where the causing technology is unknown or unconfirmed. Common grey problems are: Intermittent errors; Intermittent incorrect output, or; Transient performance problems.

Why does Grey problem matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Grey problem?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Grey problem.