A component-based architecture for problem solving environments

Many problems in science and engineering involve computer modeling of physical phenomena. Problem Solving Environments (PSEs) are software systems designed to hide the intricacies of computer modeling of physical phenomena and guide a researcher towards a meaningful solution. Some computer modeling applications are naturally distributed, require gathering experimental data, processing raw data, plugging the results of this processing into theoretical models, and repeating the process with various sets of model parameters. Others require legacy applications, distributed over a wide-area network, to collaborate towards a common goal.