Insufficient Resources

It is often the case in problem-solving situations that a resource is not exist or present in an amount insufficient for inventive purposes. There is System of Operators can be applied in such cases.

There is another consideration regarding resources that warrants our attention: examining the system at increasing levels of detail to reveal the resources necessary to solve the problem. The notion of "drilling deeper" into a system is especially important when dealing with long-standing problems that have been the focus of repeated problem-solving efforts. (In such cases it is almost certain that the resources capable of yielding an inventive solution are not readily apparent. Revealing these long-hidden resources can therefore make the difference between success and failure.)

Example: Accumulate a resource until the required amount is obtained.

To accumulate a resource, try to make use of special devices (springs, flywheels, capacitors, inductors, lasers, etc.) or special substances (explosives, thermites, elastic substances, etc.) capable of accumulating and then releasing energy.

Example: In cold regions, gas pipelines are supported by piles driven into the permafrost. During the summer, however, the piles heat up and gradually sink into the permafrost.

To prevent this problem, hollow piles can be filled with kerosene. In winter, the tops of the piles will be colder than the bottoms, and convection in the kerosene will remove heat energy from the permafrost. In summer, there will be no convection currents in the kerosene, and the flow of heat down to the permafrost will be minimal.