Tiling Tree

Implements the MIT Synthetic Neurobiology tiling tree method: recursively partition a problem space into non-overlapping, collectively exhaustive subsets until reaching actionable leaf ideas, then evaluate those leaves.

Core Concept

The method's power comes from MECE splits forcing exploration of unfamiliar territory. A split is only valid when you can state precisely what each branch excludes — if you can't, the criterion is too vague and branches will overlap.

Key insight from the source method: always look for the "third option" that falls outside an obvious binary split. The bloodstream-secretion approach to neural recording only emerged because "wired vs. wireless" was defined precisely enough to reveal it covered neither case.

When to Use

• "What are all the ways we could solve X?"
• "Apply the tiling tree method to Y"
• "Exhaustively map the solution space for Z"
• Any request for MECE decomposition of a problem domain

Setup