55 lines
2.0 KiB
Markdown
55 lines
2.0 KiB
Markdown
---
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name: Meta-Pattern Recognition
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description: Spot patterns appearing in 3+ domains to find universal principles
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when_to_use: when noticing the same pattern across 3+ different domains or experiencing déjà vu in problem-solving
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version: 1.1.0
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---
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# Meta-Pattern Recognition
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## Overview
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When the same pattern appears in 3+ domains, it's probably a universal principle worth extracting.
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**Core principle:** Find patterns in how patterns emerge.
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## Quick Reference
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| Pattern Appears In | Abstract Form | Where Else? |
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|-------------------|---------------|-------------|
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| CPU/DB/HTTP/DNS caching | Store frequently-accessed data closer | LLM prompt caching, CDN |
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| Layering (network/storage/compute) | Separate concerns into abstraction levels | Architecture, organization |
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| Queuing (message/task/request) | Decouple producer from consumer with buffer | Event systems, async processing |
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| Pooling (connection/thread/object) | Reuse expensive resources | Memory management, resource governance |
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## Process
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1. **Spot repetition** - See same shape in 3+ places
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2. **Extract abstract form** - Describe independent of any domain
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3. **Identify variations** - How does it adapt per domain?
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4. **Check applicability** - Where else might this help?
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## Example
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**Pattern spotted:** Rate limiting in API throttling, traffic shaping, circuit breakers, admission control
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**Abstract form:** Bound resource consumption to prevent exhaustion
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**Variation points:** What resource, what limit, what happens when exceeded
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**New application:** LLM token budgets (same pattern - prevent context window exhaustion)
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## Red Flags You're Missing Meta-Patterns
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- "This problem is unique" (probably not)
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- Multiple teams independently solving "different" problems identically
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- Reinventing wheels across domains
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- "Haven't we done something like this?" (yes, find it)
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## Remember
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- 3+ domains = likely universal
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- Abstract form reveals new applications
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- Variations show adaptation points
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- Universal patterns are battle-tested
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