Distilling simplicity from complexity
Nature has a way of autoclassifying, or distilling, simplicity out of complex problems. Everything in nature, from its most fundamental components to its most complex aggregates, seeks simplicity by following the path of least resistance. Ants follow the strongest chemical trail to find the shortest path to food. Water flows downhill. Electricity grounds itself via the shortest, most conductive route possible. The examples of nature taking the path of least resistance abound.

If we break down the complex problems we face, we find they are made up of many pieces. How, then, can we take more advantage from these dynamic simplification methods? This is an excellent question. We must first break the problem down into its most fundamental components. Then we can use the simple rules of nature to describe the clarity of its patterns. We do this through multidimensional autoclassification using multidimensional association. In other words, group things according to their similarities.

Another problem solving technique is to have multiple perspectives on the same problem. This helps you unravel the essence of the problem. Remember, your perspective isn't necessarily the same as the next person's, and it may not even be the same as your perspective the following day. This clear understanding of the problem permits you to harness its simplicity in many ways.

Deriving Knowledge of Knowledge
A fancy term for your personal perspective is your Classification Taxonomy. For larger problems, you can develop Taxonomies of Taxonomies at a higher level of simplification. We call this the Knowledge of Knowledge. This is a simplification method that uses abstraction, a sophisticated word for a simple idea.

Since we can only handle a limited number of items in our short-term memory, we must chunk or encapsulate problems into named containers. It's like taking all the leftover portions of your dinner and putting them into separate, labeled Tupperware containers. We continue this chunking pattern, building a relationship hierarchy of named containers. We call this a classification hierarchy, or a Taxonomy.

This ordered simplicity tagged with a meaningful language is an extremely powerful tool and is a natural evolution in the progression of information systems towards Knowledge Management.

Ants--they are not alone
Ants aren't the only creatures to harness the power of nature's simplicity. In fact, Man, with his "superior" brain, seems to be the only animal that actually creates complexity out of the simplicity of nature. This is a mistake, however, as there is great beauty in the simplicity of nature's patterns. We must follow the example of the ants and seek out simplicity for ourselves.

Bain McKay is an Executive Vice President of CORedge Software Inc. and Chief Scientist with Knowledge Management Technology, CIRI Lab. Bain can be reached at bmckay@tsg.com or at http://www.tsg.com.