What's your problem The problem of problem definition

The first step in developing an application to solve a real world problem is to define the problem. Typically in applied mathematics, artificial intelligence, and operations research, the definition process generates a well-defined problem that is subsequently studied and, if the project is successful, solved (for some appropriate definition of "solved"). Our thesis is that problem definition is inherently a process of abstraction, reformulation, and approximation that has not been deeply studied in the literature.