Problem finding means problem discovery. It is part of the larger problem process that includes problem shaping

Problem shaping

Problem shaping means revising a question so that the solution process can begin or continue.It is part of the larger problem process that includes problem finding and problem solving. Problem shaping often involves the application of critical thinking.Algorithmic approach to technical problems...

 and problem solving

Problem solving

Problem solving is a mental process and is part of the larger problem process that includes problem finding and problem shaping. Consideredthe most complex of all intellectual functions, problem solving has been defined as higher-order cognitive process that requires the modulation and control of...

. Problem finding requires intellectual vision and insight into what is missing. This involves the application of creativity

Creativity

Creativity refers to the phenomenon whereby a person creates something new that has some kind of value. What counts as "new" may be in reference to the individual creator, or to the society or domain within which the novelty occurs...

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Finding a problem can, depending on the problem, be either much easier or much harder than solving the problem. An example of a problem that was much easier to find than to solve is Fermat's Last Theorem

Fermat's Last Theorem

In number theory, Fermat's Last Theorem states that no three positive integers a, b, and c can satisfy the equation an + bn = cn for any integer value of n greater than two....

. The problem is simple, is it true that it is impossible to separate any power higher than the second into two like powers? Solving the problem took 357 years.

1.1 CPF(creative problem finding) and CSPF(creative science problem finding)were put forward by professor Hu Weiping,China.