What's the difference between a pathological problem and a normal problem?
Solution 1:
Non-pathological problems are those which are solvable or survivable. Most engineering problems are non-pathological. In engineering pathological usually means a set of circumstances which can lead to catastrophic failure and cannot be fully mitigated against or prevented. The engineering term may borrow the vernacular from medicine, but the meaning doesn't match common dictionary definitions of pathological (neither "relating to the study of the nature of diseases" nor "compulsive"). It may borrow from the mathematical concept of pathological phenomena, those which have counter-intuitive or atypically bad behavior.
Solution 2:
The use of 'pathological' emphasizes that the problem is widespread, persistent and difficult to get rid of. For example, 'corruption within the political spheres is a pathological problem.' In this way, 'pathological' lends its medical meaning to the word problem. However, by stating that a problem is 'a normal problem' does not necessarily emphasize these qualities.
Solution 3:
A pathological problem is one that relates to medical conditions/diseases. Consider that the study of pathology is the study of diseases:
Pathology:
- the science or the study of the origin, nature, and course of diseases.
- the conditions and processes of a disease.
- any deviation from a healthy, normal, or efficient condition.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pathology
The most common usage of this word in common vernacular is probably in regards to "pathological liars" which are people who lie repeatedly, to the point where it's akin to a mental disorder like OCD.
Pathological:
- of or relating to pathology
- relating to, involving, or caused by disease
- (informal) compulsively motivated: a pathological liar
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pathological
So by definition most problems are definitely not pathological, as most problems in life have nothing to do with disease or mental illness. Hope that helps.