“Fifty Ways to Work A Problem”

lyrics copyright 1998, 2000 Lawrence Mark Lesser; all rights reserved
may be sung to the tune of Paul Simon’s "Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover"

  Real-life problems are open-ended, typic'ly,
 But we can solve them with some strategy.
 With the tools and rules between you and me, 
 There must be fifty ways to work a problem.
 
 We'll divide and conquer till we cut it down to size; 
  We'll make a model and visualize.
 We'll use computers when it seems wise-
 There must be fifty ways to work a problem!
 
 Chorus: 
 Just say what's known, Joan,
 and what's to find, Caroline.
 What rings a bell, Nell,
 to what we've done?
 Make a plan, Stan, follow it through, Sue,
 Try to extend, Ken, and we'll be done!
 
 Sometimes the key is askin' what something means; 
 Sometimes analogies or an inductive scheme
 -- Sometimes on our own, sometimes in a team,
 There must be fifty ways to work a problem.
 
 We'll work it backwards, then try a guess-
 If our first try won't fly, we won't get depressed,
 We'll find a way that works,
 there may not be one that's "best"
 Of the fifty ways to work a problem!
 
 (Repeat chorus twice)