Abstract: A system and method for recognizing and interpreting diagrammatic and graphical representations in a computer. A user specifies a problem by inputting a graphical or diagrammatic representation of the problem. A recognition process according to the invention identifies symbols in the representation, identifies relationships between the symbols, and generates an adjacency matrix corresponding to a graph that represents information obtained from the identified symbols and their relationships to each other. The adjacency matrix may be simplified and used to produce computer-readable output for execution by other program components to solve the problem. With this invention, users can easily use their Tablet PCs, smart pens, other pen-centric computers or any other such input mechanisms (such as WACOM tablets or mouse) to “draw” their problem and solve it.