How To Invent (Almost) Anything : Appendix A: Altshuller’s 39 Parameters

These are the 39 domains which are defined in TRIZ as being sources of contradiction. Most inventions are about solving contradictions.

Contradictions occur between two items in the table below. One item is what you are seeking and the other is something that is getting in the way.

For example, to make a car accelerate faster, you may put in a bigger engine, but the weight of the engine reduces its performance. This is a contradiction between power (which you want) and weight (which you do not want).

1	Weight of moving object
2	Weight of non-moving object
3	Length of moving object
4	Length of non-moving object
5	Area of moving object
6	Area of non-moving object
7	Volume of moving object
8	Volume of non-moving object
9	Speed
10	Force
11	Tension/pressure
12	Shape
13	Stability of object (resistance to change)
14	Strength
15	Durability of moving object
16	Durability of non-moving object
17	Temperature
18	Brightness
19	Energy spent by moving object
20	Energy spent by non-moving object
21	Power
22	Waste of energy
23	Waste of substance
24	Loss of information
25	Waste of time
26	Amount of substance
27	Reliability
28	Accuracy of measurement
29	Accuracy of manufacturing
30	Harmful factors acting on object
31	Harmful side-effects
32	Ease of manufacture
33	Ease of use
34	Ease of repair
35	Adaptability (to external conditions)
36	Complexity of device
37	Complexity of control
38	Level of automation
39	Productivity

Appendix A: Altshuller’s 39 Parameters

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