Dimensional Analysis

Map the design space of a research area by discovering its fundamental dimensions (axes of variation), enumerating meaningful combinations, and identifying unexplored regions that represent novel opportunities.

Manifest

| Level | Count | Skills | |-------|-------|--------| | Strategy | 3 | dimension-discovery, combination-mapping, gap-prioritization | | Tactic | 2 | axis-extraction, matrix-generation | | SOP | 6 | dimension-page-creation, axis-validation, combination-enumeration, novelty-scoring, question-generation, matrix-export |

Budget Table

| Metric | Small | Medium | Large | |--------|-------|--------|-------| | Dimensions identified | 3 | 6 | 10 | | Axes per dimension | 3 | 5 | 8 | | Combinations explored | 10 | 30 | 60 | | Novel gaps identified | 3 | 8 | 15 | | Questions generated | 5 | 12 | 25 |

Strategy Sequence (Reference, Not Prescription)

1. dimension-discovery — identify fundamental axes of variation in the design space
2. combination-mapping — enumerate interesting combinations, mark existing work
3. gap-prioritization — rank unexplored combinations by novelty and feasibility

MCP Tools Used

• vault_search — find existing coverage of dimension values
• vault_add_edge — connect dimensions to concepts
• vault_query_graph — explore existing dimension neighborhoods
• vault_graph_stats — assess coverage completeness

Context-Management

<HARD-GATE>

• Call context-init at campaign start
• Call context-checkpoint after each strategy completes
• Call knowledge-compilation after each strategy

</HARD-GATE>

Guiding Principles

• Dimensions are independent. If two axes always co-vary, they're likely one dimension.
• Completeness over depth. Map the full space first, then drill into promising regions.
• Empty cells are opportunities. An unexplored combination in a well-populated matrix is a research opportunity.
• Feasibility constrains. Not all combinations are realizable. Mark impossible combinations explicitly.
• Cross-domain dimensions. The most interesting dimensions often come from outside the domain.

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Available Strategies

Optional, no fixed order; the final leaf is always a sop.

| Strategy | When to use | | --- | --- | | dimension-discovery | Strategy for identifying fundamental dimensions of variation in a design space. | | knowledge-structuring-combination-mapping | Strategy for enumerating meaningful combinations across dimensions and marking existing work. | | knowledge-structuring-gap-prioritization | Strategy for ranking unexplored combinations by novelty, feasibility, and potential impact. |

Available Tactics

Optional, no fixed order; the final leaf is always a sop.

| Tactic | When to use | | --- | --- | | axis-extraction | Tactic for systematically extracting axes of variation from literature — identify how practitioners compare approaches. | | knowledge-compilation | Tactic for compiling research findings into vault pages — orchestrates page creation, updates, edge linking, and index maintenance. Minimum yield ≥3 page operations per invocation. | | matrix-generation | Tactic for generating and populating combination matrices — cross dimensions to enumerate the design space. |

Available SOPs

Optional, no fixed order; the final leaf is always a sop.

| SOP | When to use | | --- | --- | | context-checkpoint | Append research process and results to the current Phase's context file. Covers both process and results with genuine substance. Use this skill at plan-designated checkpoint points — typically after each strategy completes or at key decision nodes within a research Phase. | | context-init | Create a new context file for a research Phase. Called once at Phase start to initialize the file that subsequent context-checkpoint calls will append to. Use this skill whenever a new research Phase begins and a fresh context file is needed. |

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