Concepts
The irreducible epistemic atoms underlying the curriculum. 4,828 atoms across 8 types
Map the whole idea first, then decompose — knowledge gaps…
Before attempting decomposition of any complex idea, map it as a whole with your current understanding externalized, then decompose systematically until you encounter steps you cannot explain clearly—those uncertainty points are your actual knowledge gaps.
Defending the whole plan when one part is challenged…
When someone challenges one part of your compound plan and you defend the whole thing, treat this as a diagnostic signal that you're still operating on fused ideas rather than independent assumptions.
Ask AI to enumerate assumptions, not answer directly…
When presenting compound statements to AI systems, explicitly ask for assumption enumeration rather than direct answers, then critically verify the decomposition's completeness since the AI may introduce its own hidden assumptions.
Decompose tasks into steps before estimating — holistic…
When unpacking task estimates, decompose complex tasks into component steps before estimating duration—unpacking improves accuracy by forcing visibility of dependencies and transitions that holistic estimation skips.
Sequence gaps during refactoring are specs for new notes…
When refactoring reveals that notes in a sequence jump or break, treat those gaps as specifications for new atoms to write rather than as sequence failures.
Decompose peak-day tasks and pre-load early components…
Decompose tasks due on peak-load days into components that can start independently, then pre-load early components into low-load days to smooth temporal distribution.
Split compound blockers into separate obstacles…
Decompose compound blockers into separate obstacles with independent owners and solutions before attempting resolution, because monolithic blockers resist action through perceived complexity.
When a binary label hides multiple distinct reasons, split…
When a binary classification hides multiple distinct failure modes or reasons within a single bucket, decompose it into separate dimensions that can be evaluated independently.
Map prerequisite chains backward before learning — ask…
Before attempting to learn a target skill, map its prerequisite chain backward by repeatedly asking 'what must I be able to do first?' until reaching skills you can perform reliably, then start at the lowest-rated prerequisite rather than the target.
Test each component of a compound schema independently…
Validate each atomic component of a compound schema independently before trusting the complete structure, because compound failures provide no diagnostic information about which component broke.
Failure localization test for step granularity — if a step…
Test workflow step granularity with the failure localization criterion: if this step fails, will I know what went wrong without further investigation? If no, the step needs further decomposition.