binary problemnoun.
A problem that can be reduced to just two factors; a problem that has only two solutions.
Example Citation:
"President Clinton works the Middle East as a binary problem of Israelis and Palestinians. But the Middle East is a treacherous mixture of algebra and geometry, not arithmetic: Hidden factors, tenebrous equations and whiplash angles thwart the best of intentions."
—Jim Hoagland, "Mideast Mix," The Washington Post
