AgentSkillsCN

Problem Solving

问题解决

SKILL.md

Problem-Solving Techniques

Systematic approaches for different types of stuck-ness. Each technique targets specific problem patterns.

When to Use

Apply when encountering:

  • •Complexity spiraling - Multiple implementations, growing special cases, excessive branching
  • •Innovation blocks - Conventional solutions inadequate, need breakthrough thinking
  • •Recurring patterns - Same issue across domains, reinventing solutions
  • •Assumption constraints - Forced into "only way", can't question premise
  • •Scale uncertainty - Production readiness unclear, edge cases unknown
  • •General stuck-ness - Unsure which technique applies

Quick Dispatch

Match symptom to technique:

Stuck SymptomTechniqueReference
Same thing implemented 5+ ways, growing special casesSimplification Cascadesreferences/simplification-cascades.md
Conventional solutions inadequate, need breakthroughCollision-Zone Thinkingreferences/collision-zone-thinking.md
Same issue in different places, reinventing wheelsMeta-Pattern Recognitionreferences/meta-pattern-recognition.md
Solution feels forced, "must be done this way"Inversion Exercisereferences/inversion-exercise.md
Will this work at production? Edge cases unclear?Scale Gamereferences/scale-game.md
Unsure which technique to useWhen Stuckreferences/when-stuck.md

Core Techniques

1. Simplification Cascades

Find one insight eliminating multiple components. "If this is true, we don't need X, Y, Z."

Key insight: Everything is a special case of one general pattern.

Red flag: "Just need to add one more case..." (repeating forever)

2. Collision-Zone Thinking

Force unrelated concepts together to discover emergent properties. "What if we treated X like Y?"

Key insight: Revolutionary ideas from deliberate metaphor-mixing.

Red flag: "I've tried everything in this domain"

3. Meta-Pattern Recognition

Spot patterns appearing in 3+ domains to find universal principles.

Key insight: Patterns in how patterns emerge reveal reusable abstractions.

Red flag: "This problem is unique" (probably not)

4. Inversion Exercise

Flip core assumptions to reveal hidden constraints. "What if the opposite were true?"

Key insight: Valid inversions reveal context-dependence of "rules."

Red flag: "There's only one way to do this"

5. Scale Game

Test at extremes (1000x bigger/smaller, instant/year-long) to expose fundamental truths.

Key insight: What works at one scale fails at another.

Red flag: "Should scale fine" (without testing)

Application Process

  1. •Identify stuck-type - Match symptom to technique above
  2. •Load detailed reference - Read specific technique from references/
  3. •Apply systematically - Follow technique's process
  4. •Document insights - Record what worked/failed
  5. •Combine if needed - Some problems need multiple techniques

Combining Techniques

Powerful combinations:

  • •Simplification + Meta-pattern - Find pattern, then simplify all instances
  • •Collision + Inversion - Force metaphor, then invert its assumptions
  • •Scale + Simplification - Extremes reveal what to eliminate
  • •Meta-pattern + Scale - Universal patterns tested at extremes

References

Load detailed guides as needed:

  • •references/when-stuck.md - Dispatch flowchart and decision tree
  • •references/simplification-cascades.md - Cascade detection and extraction
  • •references/collision-zone-thinking.md - Metaphor collision process
  • •references/meta-pattern-recognition.md - Pattern abstraction techniques
  • •references/inversion-exercise.md - Assumption flipping methodology
  • •references/scale-game.md - Extreme testing procedures
  • •references/attribution.md - Source and adaptation notes