Representation of problem—solving processes by a model of associative processor hasp. a case study for the process of addition

Abstract

AbstractThis paper aims at a constructive description of which neural network model can represent the human problem‐solving process and how the process is related to the various human memories by what context. From such a viewpoint, a neural network model is constructed for the representation of the problem‐solving process. In this paper, a model for the addition process is constructed as the first step, using the associative memory model HASP (human associative processor) proposed by one of the present authors. The model is composed of the following components: the procedure memory, which stores and retrieves the procedures of the addition; semantics memory, which stores the knowledge about the addition such as 2 + 2 = 4; the working memory, which temporarily stores the external and internal information; and the goal memory, which stores the problem‐solving process as a chain of subgoals, and manages the flow of procedures from one higher level in the control hierarchy. In this study, a computer simulation was performed for the addition processes for several numbers with multiple digits, and it is shown that the addition process can be represented. Then the computer simulation is made for the generation of four kinds of bugs in the addition. It is shown that the bug generation can be represented by the model.