Setting up your own company is exciting. Chosing an appropriate name is an enjoyable problem. The use of
is particularly appropriate to a company associated with the practice of reservoir engineering.
When I won a book token prize for achievement (based on the quantity rather than quality of my GCSE exam's) I chose to buy a book on Mathematics. Quite appropriate but it actually gathered dust on my bookshelf for many years. The book I chose based on the title alone was "How to Solve It" by G Polya.
By 2005 I had finally opened and read Polya's wonderful book and found the 'methods and rules of discovery and invention' ...Heuristics....that had only through experience become the tools of my trade as a reservoir engineer.
Within the field of education;
heuristics is applied as a term of distinction for a teaching method in which the student is allowed or encouraged to learn independently through his or her own investigation -- as opposed to prescriptive teaching methods.
An excellent and entertaining illurstration is provided by Paul Niquette in his 'Discoverying Assumptions' Article. When I read this article I was struck by the thought that it could be an analogy to the esscence of my job as a reservoir engineer.
Polya provides a list of heuristic based suggestions to problem solving. A reservoir engineer should readily recognise a similarity with their approach in reservoir engineering studies.
'The "Short Dictionary of Heuristic" included in 'How to Solve It' supplies the history, techniques and terminology of heuristic with brilliant precision.....'. My favourites and associated thoughts are;
'To apply a rule to the letter, rigidity, unquestioningly, in cases where it fits and in cases where it does not fit, is pedantry. Some pedants are poor fools; they never did understand the rule which they apply so conscientiously and so indiscriminately. Some pedants are quite sucessful; they understood their rule, at least in the beginning (before they became pedants), and chose one that fits in many cases and fails only occasionally.
To apply a rule with natural ease, with judgement, noticing the cases where it fits, and without ever letting the words of rule obscure the purpose of the action or the opportunities of the situation, is mastery
Where technical integrity is required Mastery is the winner. Where ease of management is required Pedantry is attractive.
The first rule of discovery is to have brains and good luck. The second rule of discovery is to sit tight and wait until you have a bright idea.
It would be a mistake to think that solving problems is a purely 'intellectual affair'; determination and emotions play an important role. Lukewarm determination and sleepy consent to do a little of something maybe enough for a routine problem in the classroom. But, to solve a serious scientific problem, will power is needed that can outlast years of toil and bitter disappointments.
A young reservoir engineer who aspires to mastery would do well to heed that success is underpinned by determination and hope.
Numerical results of mathematical problems can be tested by comparing them with observed numbers, or to a commonsense estimate of observable numbers. As problems arising from practical needs or natural curiosty almost always aim at facts it could be expected that such comparisons with observable facts are seldom omitted.
A reservoir engineer, no matter how short of time, should compare their results with analogue data or 'back of the envelope' calculations. If only because that's what their peer reviewer will be doing.