---
slug: "Decompose"
name: "Decompose"
type: "Reasoning"
layer: "Mind"
ref: "Decompose#6994"
sema_id: "sema:Decompose#mh:SHA-256:69942e7e0dcdc7781144da58c8f09b2e8a17c247be435dadf3325cb0d0bbb22b"
tags: ["Mind","Reasoning"]
updated: 2026-11-11
mindscape: "bootstrap"
index_url: https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/index.json
url: https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Decompose/
related: ["Task","Problem","Solution","Strategy","BreadthGovernor","ConceptualDecomposition","DepthGovernor","Farsimple","Fermi","LeastToMost","PUREOptimization","RecursionDive","RoutingSanityCheck","ScopeFreeze","Shard","SkeletonOfThought","SolverDecomposition","Synthesis","Farsimple#2209"]
---

# Decompose

Dividing complexity into manageable units

Layer: Mind · Category: Reasoning

## Mechanism

[Strategy](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Strategy.md): The cognitive act of splitting a [Task](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Task.md) into independent subordinate parts. Criterion: solving each constituent [Problem](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Problem.md) in isolation must yield [Solution](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Solution.md) to the whole. If subproblems interact, the split is wrong—try a different decomposition axis. Recurse until subproblems are trivial.

## Invariants

- States the independence criterion it claims, and the split satisfies the criterion it declared.

## Preconditions

- [Problem](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Problem.md) too large to solve directly.
- Decomposition axis identifiable.

## Postconditions

- Set of subproblems, each satisfying the declared independence criterion.
- Combined [Solution](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Solution.md) equals original.

## Failure modes

- Coupling Leakage: Subproblems are not truly independent; solving one breaks another.

## Builds on

- [Task](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Task.md) (Infrastructure; Accepts)
- [Problem](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Problem.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [Solution](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Solution.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [Strategy](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Strategy.md) (Mind; References)

## Used by

- [BreadthGovernor](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/BreadthGovernor.md) (Mind; References)
- [ConceptualDecomposition](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/ConceptualDecomposition.md) (Mind; References)
- [DepthGovernor](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/DepthGovernor.md) (Mind; References)
- [Farsimple](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Farsimple.md) (Mind; References)
- [Fermi](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Fermi.md) (Mind; Composes with)
- [LeastToMost](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/LeastToMost.md) (Mind; References)
- [PUREOptimization](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/PUREOptimization.md) (Mind; Composes with)
- [RecursionDive](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/RecursionDive.md) (Mind; Composes with)
- [RoutingSanityCheck](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/RoutingSanityCheck.md) (Mind; References)
- [ScopeFreeze](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/ScopeFreeze.md) (Mind; References)
- [Shard](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Shard.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [SkeletonOfThought](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/SkeletonOfThought.md) (Mind; References)
- [SolverDecomposition](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/SolverDecomposition.md) (Mind; References)
- [Synthesis](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Synthesis.md) (Mind; References)

## Identity

- Sema ID: `sema:Decompose#mh:SHA-256:69942e7e0dcdc7781144da58c8f09b2e8a17c247be435dadf3325cb0d0bbb22b`
- Ref: `Decompose#6994`
- Supersedes:
  - `sema:Decompose#mh:SHA-256:ac569dd49b1b2d91a5f03640f30b0c0fd658b3c6a46788d46fd734760c5281a4`
  - `sema:Decompose#mh:SHA-256:63f31488a348d1176b6b16e770c69f196c2e03f507a240103e8297487dc4f652`
  - `sema:Decompose#mh:SHA-256:db21cdd0d7ccb82af40a5f2e19aa6e8c3b34c39ff2c3909c36ddd4e2868e3926`

## Links

- [Pattern page](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Decompose/)
- [View in the interactive graph](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/#Decompose)
- [JSON](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Decompose.json)
- [Index of all patterns](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/index.json)