# Polytely

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{{Short description|Problem-solving technique}}
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'''Polytely''' (from [Greek](/source/Ancient_Greek) roots ''poly-'' and ''-tel-'' meaning "many goals") comprises complex [problem-solving](/source/Problem_solving) situations characterized by the presence of multiple simultaneous goals.<ref name="Funke2001-72">Funke 2001, p.72.</ref> These goals may be contradictory or otherwise conflict with one another, requiring prioritisation of desired outcomes.<ref name="Funke2001-72">Funke 2001, p.72.</ref>

Polytely is a feature of complex problem-solving that adds difficulty to finding an optimum solution. Funke describes polytely as a feature "not... inherent in a system, but [referring] to certain decisions of the experimenter", especially decisions relating to what goals are to be followed in solving the problem.<ref name="Funke2001-73">Funke 2001, p.73.</ref> In the complex problem of nuclear waste disposal, Flüeler cites both trust between [state](/source/sovereign_state)s (as a factor in [nuclear proliferation](/source/nuclear_proliferation): "Some states disarm whilst others re-arm – both do it for the sake of our planet's peace"), and safe and [sustainable](/source/sustainability) disposal of nuclear waste as situations where considering in terms of polytely helps elaborate and then balance important but conflicting goals.<ref name="Flüeler2006">Flüeler 2006, p. 138—139</ref>
<!--Modern societies face an increasing incidence of various complex problems. In other words, the defining characteristics of our complex problems are a large number of variables (complexity) that interact in a nonlinear fashion (connectivity), changing over time (dynamic and time-dependent), and to achieve multiple goals (polytely).-->

== See also ==
 {{columns-list|colwidth=30em|
* [Cognitive science](/source/Cognitive_science)
* [Concurrent computing](/source/Concurrent_computing)
* [Dietrich Dörner](/source/Dietrich_D%C3%B6rner)
* [Game theory](/source/Game_theory)
* [Goal-oriented](/source/Goal-oriented)
* [Multi-agent system](/source/Multi-agent_system)
* [Multi-criteria decision analysis](/source/Multi-criteria_decision_analysis)
* [Multiobjective optimization](/source/Multiobjective_optimization)
* [Network science](/source/Network_science)
* [Organizational studies](/source/Organizational_studies)
* [Outcome (game theory)](/source/Outcome_(game_theory))
* [Polycentric law](/source/Polycentric_law)
* [Problem solving](/source/Problem_solving)
* [Systems theory](/source/Systems_theory)
* [Telos](/source/Telos)}}

== Notes ==
{{reflist}}

== References ==
* {{cite journal | title=Dynamic Systems as Tools for Analysing Human Judgement | author=Joachim Funke | journal=Thinking and Reasoning | volume=7 | number=1 | pages=69–89 | year=2001 |ssrn=1630893 | doi=10.1080/13546780042000046| s2cid=15088293 | url=http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/8234/1/Funke_2001_TR.pdf }}
* {{cite book | page=186 | title=Complex problem solving: principles and mechanisms | author1=Robert J. Sternberg | author2=Peter A. Frensch | publisher=Routledge | year=1991 | isbn=978-0-8058-0651-9 }}
* {{cite book | page=310 | title=Paradigm shift for future tennis: the art of tennis physiology, biomechanics, and psychology | volume=12 | series=Cognitive systems monographs | author1=Tijana T. Ivancevic | author2=Bojan Jovanovic | author3=Sasa Jovanovic | author4=Milka Djukic | author5=Natalia Djukic | publisher=Springer Verlag | year=2011 | isbn=978-3-642-17094-2 }}
* {{cite book | page=253 | title=The routines of decision making | author1=Tilmann Betsch | author2=Susanne Haberstroh | publisher=Routledge | year=2005 | isbn=978-0-8058-4613-3 }}
* {{cite book | author=Thomas Flüeler | title=Decision Making for Complex Socio-Technical Systems: Robustness from Lessons Learned in Long-Term Radioactive Waste Governance | publisher = Springer Science & Business Media | year=2006 | isbn=978-1-4020-3480-0 }}

== External links ==
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=8Q_7gVt5YvYC&dq=polytely&pg=PA138 Decision Making for Complex Socio-technical Systems]
* [http://cogprints.org/1374/0/funke2001.pdf Dynamic systems as tools for analysing human judgement]{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
* [http://www.psychologie.uni-heidelberg.de/ae/allg/forschun/bmft_cps/index.html Complex problem solving as a mediator between basic cognition and real-world functioning]{{Dead link|date=February 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}
* [https://idea.library.drexel.edu/islandora/object/idea%3A2671 Complex Problem Solving: Identity Matching Based on Social Contextual Information] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200531141514/https://idea.library.drexel.edu/islandora/object/idea:2671 |date=2020-05-31 }}
* [http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/klu/olic/1999/00000032/00000003/00235000?crawler=true A study of how individuals solve complex and ill-structured problems]
* [http://www.psych.nyu.edu/carrascolab/people/Spering.Wagener.Funke.C&E.2005.pdf The role of emotions in complex problem-solving]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120219143608/http://www.prosolva.org/spip/spip.php?article64 Problem solving: its origin]
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=gJumTAl78LUC&dq=polytelos&pg=PA186 Complex Problem Solving]

{{Systems}}

Category:Systems theory

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Polytely](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polytely) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polytely?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.