To answer this question, the authors present the development of the problems as attacked by the synthetic chemist. The process is introduced by an excellent discussion of the difference between kinetic and thermodynamic control events. The role of entropy is also presented. In this chapter, the reader is expected to have a solid foundation in basic organic chemistry, but from there, the authors lead the reader to the most recent and complex transformations in the synthetic arsenal. Both linear and convergent schemes are described.
Special attention is focused on the retrosynthetic approach to synthesis design.
The chapter ends with a review of contributions and limitations of computer-aided retrosynthetic studies. It was suggested that one of the principal contributions of computer-assisted retrosynthetic analysis was the compilation and systemization of the immense amount of information in the area of organic synthesis. Chapter 4 presents selected examples of the more recent achievements in organic synthesis. The last short chapter reviews the contributions of organic synthesis to the whole of the body of scientific knowledge. In particular, it argues the significance of model systems in the investigation of biochemical processes.