Base120 · Decomposition

Taxonomy/Classification

DE · Decomposition

Organize entities into hierarchical categories based on shared properties

Model code
DE6
Transformation
DE (Decomposition) — Break problems into factors, layers, and independent subproblems.
Priority
6 of 20
Framework
HUMMBL Base120 — 120 mental models across 6 transformations

When to use

"Use when you need to organize a large set of entities into a navigable structure. Classify entities into hierarchical categories based on shared properties. A good taxonomy makes retrieval and reasoning efficient."

Example

"The Linnaean taxonomy classifies living things into kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species. The hierarchy makes it possible to reason about all mammals (shared properties) without examining each species individually."

Common misuse

"Forcing entities into a single taxonomy when they have multiple natural classifications. A product can be classified by category, by price range, by use case, by brand. A single taxonomy hides the other dimensions."

Also known as

CategorizationHierarchical Classification

Related models

CO2DE4P19