This post happens to be an example of limiting-case analysis, and I think it’s one of the most generally usefwl Manual Cognitive Algorithms I know of. I’m not sure about its optimal scope, but TAP:
WHEN: I ask a question like “what happens to a complex system if I tweak this variable?” and I’m confused about how to even think about it (maybe because working-memory is overtaxed)…
THEN: Consider applying limiting-case analysis on it.
That is, set the variable in question to its maximum or lowest value, and gain clarity over either or both of those cases manually. If that succeeds, then it’s usually easier to extrapolate from those examples to understand what’s going on wrt to the full range of the variable.
I think it’s a usefwl heuristic tool, and it’s helped me with more than one paradox.[1] I also often use “multiplex-case analysis” (or maybe call it “entropic-case”), which I gave a better explanation of in the this comment.
This post happens to be an example of limiting-case analysis, and I think it’s one of the most generally usefwl Manual Cognitive Algorithms I know of. I’m not sure about its optimal scope, but TAP:
WHEN: I ask a question like “what happens to a complex system if I tweak this variable?” and I’m confused about how to even think about it (maybe because working-memory is overtaxed)…
THEN: Consider applying limiting-case analysis on it.
That is, set the variable in question to its maximum or lowest value, and gain clarity over either or both of those cases manually. If that succeeds, then it’s usually easier to extrapolate from those examples to understand what’s going on wrt to the full range of the variable.
I think it’s a usefwl heuristic tool, and it’s helped me with more than one paradox.[1] I also often use “multiplex-case analysis” (or maybe call it “entropic-case”), which I gave a better explanation of in the this comment.
A simple example where I explicitly used it was when I was trying to grok the (badly named) Friendship paradox, but there are many more such cases.