computer science

TK Solver

TK Solver is a computer 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 TK Solver rather than just read about it. In short: TK Solver (originally TK!Solver) is a mathematical modeling and problem solving software system based on a declarative, rule-based language, commercialized by Universal Technical Systems, Inc. History Invented by Milos Konopasek in the late 1970s and initially developed in 1982 by Software Arts, the company behind VisiCalc, Konopasek's goal in inventing the TK Solver concept was to create a problem solving environme…

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

TK Solver (originally TK!Solver) is a mathematical modeling and problem solving software system based on a declarative, rule-based language, commercialized by Universal Technical Systems, Inc.

History Invented by Milos Konopasek in the late 1970s and initially developed in 1982 by Software Arts, the company behind VisiCalc, Konopasek's goal in inventing the TK Solver concept was to create a problem solving environment in which a given mathematical model built to solve a specific problem could be used to solve related problems (with a redistribution of input and output variables) with minimal or no additional programming required: once a user enters an equation, TK Solver can evaluate that equation as is—without isolating unknown variables on one side of the equals sign. TK Solver was sold through regional distributors, Software Arts's own sales in the northeast United States, and Digital Equipment Corporation for the DEC Professional and DEC Rainbow versions. Software Arts also released a series of "Solverpacks" - "ready-made versions of some of the formulas most commonly used in specific areas of application." The New York Times described TK Solver as doing "for science and engineering what word processing did for corporate communictions [sic] and calc packages did for finance."

Universal Technical Systems Lotus Development, which had acquired Software Arts including TK Solver in 1984, sold its ownership of the software to Universal Technical Systems less than two years later. Release 5 was still considered "one of the longest–standing mathematical equation solvers on the market today" in 2012.

Core technology TK Solver's core technologies are a declarative programming language, algebraic equation solver, an iterative equation solver, and a structured, object-based interface, using a command structure. The interface comprises nine classes of objects that can be shared between and merged into other TK files:

Rules: equations, formulas, function calls which may include logical conditions Variables: a listing of the variables that are used in the rules, along with values (numeric or non-numeric) that have been entered by the user or calculated by the software Units: all units conversion factors, in a single location, to allow automatic update of values when units are changed Lists: ranges of numeric and non-numeric values which can be associated with a variable or processed directly by procedure functions Tables: collections of lists displayed together Plots: line charts, scatterplots, bar charts, and pie charts Functions: rule-based, table look-up, and procedural programming components Formats: settings for displaying numeric and string values Comments: for explanation and documentation Each class of object is listed and stored on its own worksheet—the Rule Sheet, Variable Sheet, Unit Sheet, etc. Within each worksheet, each object has properties summarized on subsheets or viewed in a property window. The interface uses toolbars and a hierarchal navigation bar that resembles the directory tree seen on the left side of the Windows Explorer. The declarative programming structure is embodied in the rules, functions and variables that form the core of a mathematical model.

Rules, variables and units All rules are entered in the Rule Sheet or in user-defined functions. Unlike a spreadsheet or imperative programming environment, the rules can be in any order or sequence and are not expressed as assignment statements. "A + B = C / D" is a valid rule in TK Solver and can be solved for any of its four variables. Rules can be added and removed as needed in the Rule Sheet without regard for their order and incorporated into other models. A TK Solver model can include up to 32,000 rules, and the library that ships with the current version includes utilities for higher mathematics, statistics, engineering and science, finances, and programming. Variables in a rule are automatically posted to the Variable Sheet when the rule is entered and the rule is displayed in mathematical format in the MathLook View window at the bottom of the screen. Any variable can operate as an input or an output, and the model will be solved for the output variables depending on the choice of inputs. A database of unit conversion factors also ships with TK Solver, and users can add, delete, or import unit conversions in a way similar to that for rules. Each variable is associated with a "calculation" unit, but variables can also be assigned "display" units and TK automatically converts the values. For example, rules may be based upon meters and kilograms, but units of inches and pounds can be used for input and output.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with TK Solver

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what TK Solver claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer 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 TK Solver 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 TK Solver 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 TK Solver

In research: TK Solver appears in computer 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 TK Solver 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: TK Solver is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1982 software, Numerical software, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for TK Solver 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 TK Solver in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what TK Solver 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 TK Solver out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is TK Solver in simple terms?

TK Solver (originally TK!Solver) is a mathematical modeling and problem solving software system based on a declarative, rule-based language, commercialized by Universal Technical Systems, Inc. History Invented by Milos Konopasek in the late 1970s and initially developed in 1982 by Software Arts, th…

Why does TK Solver matter?

Because it connects several computer 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 TK Solver?

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 TK Solver.