  We discuss issues of problem formulation for algorithms in real algebraic
geometry, focussing on quantifier elimination by cylindrical algebraic
decomposition. We recall how the variable ordering used can have a profound
effect on both performance and output and summarise what may be done to assist
with this choice. We then survey other questions of problem formulation and
algorithm optimisation that have become pertinent following advances in CAD
theory, including both work that is already published and work that is
currently underway. With implementations now in reach of real world
applications and new theory meaning algorithms are far more sensitive to the
input, our thesis is that intelligently formulating problems for algorithms,
and indeed choosing the correct algorithm variant for a problem, is key to
improving the practical use of both quantifier elimination and symbolic real
algebraic geometry in general.
