The Haunted Swamps of Heuristics: Uncertainty in Problem Solving - Scientific Visualization: Uncertainty, Multifield, Biomedical, and Scalable Visualization - page 48

Chapter 5
The Haunted Swamps of Heuristics: Uncertainty
in Problem Solving

Artem Amirkhanov, Stefan Bruckner, Christoph Heinzl
and M. Eduard Gröller

Abstract In scientific visualization the key task of research is the provision of
insight into a problem. Finding the solution to a problem may be seen as finding a
path through some rugged terrain which contains mountains, chasms, swamps, and
few flatlands. This path—an algorithm discovered by the researcher—helps users to
easily move around this unknown area. If this way is a wide road paved with stones
it will be used for a long time by many travelers. However, a narrow footpath leading
through deep forests and deadly swamps will attract only a few adventure seekers.
There are many different paths with different levels of comfort, length, and stability,
which are uncertain during the research process. Finding a systematic way to deal
with this uncertainty can greatly assist the search for a safe path which is in our case
the development of a suitable visualization algorithm for a specific problem. In this
work we will analyze the sources of uncertainty in heuristically solving visualization
problems and will propose directions to handle these uncertainties.

5.1 Introduction

Solving visualization tasks is somewhat similar to finding a path through different
terrain (see Fig. 5.1 ). This terrain consists of two areas with very different characteris-
tics: steep mountains and dangerous swamps. The mountains represent high grounds
of theory. Choosing a path through the mountains one is on stable ground, but the path
may be steep, tedious, and inexperienced travelers might get lost or stuck at a dead

( B ) · S. Bruckner · M.E. Gröller
Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria
e-mail: [e-mail]
S. Bruckner
e-mail: [e-mail]
M.E. Gröller
e-mail: [e-mail]
C. Heinzl
Wels Campus, Upper Austrian University of Applied Sciences, Wels, Austria
e-mail: [e-mail]

A. Amirkhanov