All notable changes to the Reasoning Tools Knowledge Base will be documented in this file.
The format is based on Keep a Changelog, and this project adheres to Semantic Versioning.
- Header normalization - Standardized tool headings from
## Toolto### Toolin 7 domain files for consistency (military-strategy, mechanism-design, operations-research, intelligence-analysis, classical-rhetoric, distributive-justice, investigative-journalism)
- Extraction template updated - Tool count guidance changed from "10-15 tools" to "10-15 typical, up to 25 for rich domains" with quality gate: verify 400+ words and all 7 sections if exceeding 15
- Economics domain split - Original
economics.md(28 tools, compressed) split into 3 template-compliant domains:economics-core.md(12 tools) - Foundational concepts: opportunity cost, marginal thinking, equilibrium, incentivesinformation-economics.md(12 tools) - Asymmetric information: adverse selection, signaling, moral hazard, option valuebehavioral-economics.md(11 tools) - Systematic biases: loss aversion, framing, anchoring, time discounting
- 10 new tools not in original economics extraction: Elasticity Thinking, Pareto Efficiency, Rent-Seeking, Substitutes/Complements, Price as Information, Screening, Winner's Curse, Revealed Preference, Sunk Cost Fallacy, Mental Accounting
- All economics tools now have complete 7-section structure (4 Tier 5 tools were previously truncated)
- Tool count: 516 → 523
- Domain count: 32 → 34
- Glossary (
tools/glossary.md) - Complete alphabetical index of all 516 tools with direct anchor links to source domains - Glossary links added to all navigation sections (README, domains/README, tools READMEs)
- Simplified heading format - Removed numbered prefixes (e.g.,
## 1.4 Comparative Advantage→## Comparative Advantage) from 156 headings across 8 domain files for cleaner anchor links - Fixed all navigation links - All links in
tools/by-application/andtools/by-tool-name/now point to specific tool sections with verified anchors - Removed incorrect domain claims - Fixed 6 by-tool-name entries that incorrectly listed domains where the concept doesn't appear as a dedicated tool
- Updated cross-domain tools section in README with correct anchors
- Anchor links now work in GitHub and other md viewers (not Obsidian though)
- Links in by-application guides now point to specific tools instead of domain page tops
- Open Source Release - Project now publicly available
- LICENSE file (CC-BY 4.0)
- CONTRIBUTING.md with contribution guidelines
- .gitignore for repository hygiene
- domains/README.md index for top-level navigation
- Renamed all
_index.mdfiles toREADME.mdfor GitHub/Obsidian compatibility - Updated all internal links to use README.md convention
- README.md now includes proper license and contributing sections
- Initial release of Reasoning Tools Knowledge Base
- 32 domain extractions with 300+ transferable reasoning tools
- Structured organization by problem domain
- Cross-domain tool index
- Application-based tool index
- Visual hybrid matrix
- Comprehensive documentation and meta-documentation
Decision Under Uncertainty (4):
- Bayesian Statistics - Rigorous framework for updating beliefs with evidence
- Meteorology - Ensemble forecasting, confidence intervals, model averaging
- Intelligence Analysis - Structured analytic techniques, red teaming, hypothesis testing
- Emergency Medicine - Triage, protocols, rapid assessment under pressure
Persuasion & Influence (3):
- Game Theory (Signaling) - Strategic information revelation, credible commitment
- Social Psychology - Persuasion dynamics, cognitive biases, behavioral influence
- Classical Rhetoric - Argumentation, ethos/pathos/logos, rhetorical devices
Creative Generation (2):
- Design Thinking - User-centered ideation, prototyping, iterative refinement
- Evolutionary Biology - Variation, selection, adaptation as creative mechanisms
Complex Systems (4):
- System Dynamics - Stock-flow thinking, feedback loops, delays, nonlinearity
- Network Science - Graph structure, centrality, clustering, diffusion
- Ecology - Ecosystem dynamics, trophic cascades, resilience, carrying capacity
- Accident Investigation - Root cause analysis, Swiss cheese model, barrier analysis
Skill Mastery (3):
- Learning Theory (Cognitive Science) - Spaced repetition, retrieval practice, transfer
- Sports Science - Deliberate practice, motor learning, performance optimization
- Expertise Studies - Expert-novice differences, skill acquisition stages
Coordination & Cooperation (3):
- Mechanism Design - Incentive compatibility, revelation principle, social choice
- Organizational Behavior - Team dynamics, organizational structure, culture
- Constitutional Design - Checks and balances, rights frameworks, governance structures
Truth-Seeking & Verification (4):
- Formal Verification - Proof systems, model checking, invariant analysis
- Experimental Design - Randomization, control, statistical power, confounding
- Investigative Journalism - Source verification, evidence triangulation, fact-checking
- Logic & Critical Thinking - Valid inference, fallacy detection, argument analysis
Conflict & Competition (3):
- Military Strategy - Force concentration, maneuver warfare, strategic surprise
- Competitive Game Theory - Nash equilibrium, minimax, strategic dominance
- Litigation Strategy - Discovery, argumentation, burden of proof, precedent
Resource Allocation (4):
- Economics - Opportunity cost, marginal analysis, comparative advantage
- Operations Research - Optimization, queuing theory, linear programming
- Portfolio Management - Diversification, risk-return tradeoff, rebalancing
- Distributive Justice - Fairness principles, allocation criteria, equity-efficiency tradeoffs
Pattern Recognition (2):
- Machine Learning - Feature engineering, regularization, cross-validation, bias-variance
- Medical Diagnostics - Differential diagnosis, Bayesian reasoning, sensitivity/specificity
All extractions adhere to rigorous quality criteria:
- Clear Mental Operations: Each tool describes an actionable cognitive operation, not just a concept
- Evidence of Transfer: Surprising applications demonstrate portability across domains
- Honest Failure Modes: Specific scenarios where each tool misleads or breaks down
- Academic Citations: All tools cite serious literature (textbooks, primary research, expert sources)
- Consistent Structure: Every tool includes What/Why/Key Move/Classic/Surprising/Failure/Go Deeper sections
- Target Length: 10-15 tools per domain, 400-600 words per tool
- Tier Organization: Tools organized into 3-4 tiers by importance/centrality
Comprehensive meta-documentation included:
- Extraction Template (
meta/extraction-template.md) - Complete methodology for tool extraction - Quality Criteria (
meta/quality-criteria.md) - Checklist for evaluating extractions - Domain Selection Criteria (
meta/domain-selection-criteria.md) - Hybrid matrix approach rationale - Extraction Log (
meta/extraction-log.md) - Progress tracking across all extractions - Statistics (
meta/statistics.md) - Coverage metrics and cross-domain analysis
Multiple access paths to the knowledge base:
- By Problem Domain: Browse 10 category directories under
domains/ - By Tool Name: Alphabetical cross-domain index in
tools/by-tool-name/ - By Application: Problem-oriented guides in
tools/by-application/ - Visual Matrix: Hybrid matrix view in
matrix.md - Master README: Comprehensive introduction and navigation guide
Medium-extractability domains deferred for future expansion:
Tacit Knowledge Traditions:
- Jazz Improvisation
- Carpentry/Woodworking
- Wilderness Tracking
- Orchestra Conducting
- Martial Arts (Internal)
Contemplative Practices:
- Buddhist Mindfulness
- Stoic Philosophy
- Phenomenology
- Meditation Techniques
- Dream Analysis (Jungian)
Creative & Artistic:
- Photography/Visual Design
- Screenwriting
- Film Production
- Music Performance
- Literary Criticism
- Architecture
Additional Empirical:
- Art History
- Patent Law
- Sales/Negotiation
- Forensics
- Argumentation Theory
Additional Formal:
- Combinatorics
- Epistemology
- Social Contract Theory
- Just War Theory
- Hermeneutics
- Philosophy of Science
Additional Practical:
- Permaculture
- Construction Management
- Time Management
- Apprenticeship Models
- Debate
- Quaker Consensus
- Enhanced cross-referencing between related tools
- Interactive tool recommendation engine
- Domain similarity analysis
- Tool combination patterns and workflows
- Expanded case studies and applications
- Community contributions and extensions
Note: This changelog follows the structure specified in the implementation plan (Task 23). For detailed extraction history, see meta/extraction-log.md.