08.2 Generalization and Specialization
8.2 Generalization and Specialization Generalization and specialization are complementary strategies. One moves outward to a broader setting. The other moves inward to simpler cases. Effective problem solving uses both directions. Generalization replaces a specific problem with a more general one. The goal is not to make the problem harder, but to expose a pattern that is hidden in the original form. For example, instead of studying a single sum, one...