Assume Solution Can Be Found

Input: $ARGUMENTS

Core Move

Distinct from /ase (solution exists). Here: we can actually find it. A solution may exist but be unfindable (computationally intractable, beyond our tools, requires information we can’t get). This skill assumes findability.

Procedure

Step 1: State the Problem

Precisely state the problem from the input.

Step 2: Force the Assumption

“A solution can be found using methods available to us, within reasonable time and resources.”

Step 3: Trace Implications

If the solution is findable:

What search method works? — Systematic search, heuristic, trial-and-error, formal proof, empirical testing?
What resources are needed? — Time, compute, expertise, data, tools?
What’s the search space? — Where do we look? How big is the space?
What would finding it look like? — How would we recognize the solution when we see it?
What’s the expected cost to find? — Order of magnitude estimate.
What’s been tried? — What search strategies have already failed, and what does that tell us?

Step 4: Test the Assumption

Is the search space finite or infinite?
Are there computational complexity barriers (NP-hard, undecidable)?
Do we have the right tools for this search?
Is there an information barrier (we can’t get the data we’d need)?

Step 5: Synthesize

PROBLEM: [stated]
ASSUMING FINDABLE:
  Search method: [approach]
  Search space: [where and how big]
  Recognition criteria: [how we'd know]
  Estimated cost: [resources needed]
  Already tried: [what failed and why]
FINDABILITY CONFIDENCE: [high/medium/low]
NEXT MOVE: [specific search action]

When to Use

Know a solution probably exists but unsure if you can find it
Need to design a search strategy
Want to distinguish “unsolvable” from “hard to find”

Integration

Pair with /ase (does it exist?) and /ascfa (can we find it without searching?)
Follow with /de to plan the search

ascf - Assume Solution Can Be Found