Engineers apply mathematics and sciences such as physics to find novel solutions to problems or to improve existing solutions. In recent years engineers are increasingly required to have a proficient knowledge of relevant sciences for their design projects. As a result many engineers continue to learn new material throughout their career.
If multiple solutions exist to a problem engineers weigh each design choice based on their merit and choose the solution that best matches the requirements. The crucial and unique task of the engineer is to identify understand and interpret the constraints on a design in order to yield a successful result. It is generally insufficient to build a technically successful product; typically it must also meet further requirements.
Constraints on design may include available resources physical imaginative or technical limitations and flexibility for future modifications and additions. Other factors include requirements for cost safety marketability productivity and serviceability. By understanding these constraints engineers derive specifications for the limits within which a viable object or system may be produced and operated.
This text is adapted from a Wikipedia article Engineering. This text is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.