Patterns of Evolution: Recent Findings on Structure and Origin 1

The Patterns of Technological Evolution are the heart of the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) and the driving force in the transformation of TRIZ into a science of technological evolution. Since the mid-1970s, when Genrich Altshuller published his first set of patterns, numerous TRIZ specialists have worked in this area, primarily in attempts to find the most advantageous structure and create a complete system of patterns. These attempts, however, have had limited success due to the patterns’ empirical nature and a lack of understanding of their origin. In this paper the authors share their latest findings in the area related to the following: E Linking technological evolution with the evolution of human needs (evolution of markets) E Refining and deepening knowledge about existing patterns of evolution E Formulating new patterns E Developing the general structure of the patterns E Developing analytical instruments for effective utilization of the patterns, not only for problem solving but for predicting future generations of systems and controlling their evolution.