Space Enumeration

Input: $ARGUMENTS

Purpose

Generate a comprehensive list by systematically covering all dimensions of a problem space. This ensures nothing is missed.

Prerequisites:

• Dimensions identified (use /dimension_discovery if unknown)
• Granularity level specified

Granularity Levels

Before enumeration, specify the desired granularity:

The Process

Step 1: Confirm Dimensions

List the dimensions you’ll enumerate across:

DIMENSIONS FOR: [topic]

1. [Dimension 1]: [value1, value2, value3, ...]
2. [Dimension 2]: [value1, value2, value3, ...]
3. [Dimension 3]: [value1, value2, value3, ...]

TOTAL SPACE: [N1] × [N2] × [N3] = [Total] combinations
GRANULARITY: [EXHAUSTIVE / REPRESENTATIVE / TOP-N / DIMENSION-ONLY]

Step 2: Choose Enumeration Strategy

Based on granularity and space size:

Step 3A: Full Enumeration (Small Spaces)

For EXHAUSTIVE on small spaces, enumerate all combinations:

FULL ENUMERATION: [topic]

| # | Dim1 | Dim2 | Dim3 | Description |
|---|------|------|------|-------------|
| 1 | v1 | v1 | v1 | [what this combination means] |
| 2 | v1 | v1 | v2 | [what this combination means] |
| 3 | v1 | v2 | v1 | [what this combination means] |
...

Pruning: Mark combinations that don’t make sense as N/A:

| 4 | v1 | v2 | v2 | N/A - [reason this combination is invalid] |

Step 3B: Dimension-by-Dimension (Medium Spaces)

For REPRESENTATIVE on medium spaces:

DIMENSION-BY-DIMENSION: [topic]

## Dimension 1: [name]
For each value, list key items:

### [Value 1]
- [Item 1.1]
- [Item 1.2]
- [Item 1.3]

### [Value 2]
- [Item 2.1]
- [Item 2.2]

[Continue for all dimensions]

Step 3C: Hierarchical (Large Spaces)

For TOP-N on large spaces:

HIERARCHICAL ENUMERATION: [topic]

## Level 1: [Primary Dimension]

### [Category 1]
Top items:
1. [Most important]
2. [Second most]
3. [Third most]

### [Category 2]
Top items:
1. [Most important]
...

## Level 2: Drill-down on [specific area]
[More detailed enumeration of one branch]

Step 4: Cross-Dimensional Check

After initial enumeration, check for items that span dimensions:

CROSS-DIMENSIONAL ITEMS:
- [Item X] spans [Dim1:value] AND [Dim2:value] - classify under: [primary]
- [Item Y] doesn't fit any dimension - add to "Other" category

Step 5: Gap Check

Verify no dimension is under-represented:

COVERAGE CHECK:

| Dimension | Values | Items per Value | Gap? |
|-----------|--------|-----------------|------|
| [Dim 1] | 5 | 3, 4, 2, 5, 3 | No |
| [Dim 2] | 3 | 8, 2, 1 | Yes - [value 3] under-covered |

ACTION: Add items for [Dim 2, value 3]

Step 6: Organize Output

Choose organization by:

• By dimension (good for reference)
• By priority (good for action)
• By relationship (good for understanding)
• Alphabetical (good for lookup)

COMPREHENSIVE LIST: [topic]
Organization: [chosen method]

[Organized list with clear structure]

---
METADATA:
- Total items: [N]
- Dimensions covered: [list]
- Granularity: [level]
- Gaps identified: [any]
- Items in "Other": [N]

Example: Software Requirements Types

Input: Enumerate all types of requirements for a software project

Step 1: Dimensions

1. Stakeholder: End user, Admin, Developer, Operator, Business
2. Type: Functional, Non-functional, Constraint, Assumption
3. Priority: Must have, Should have, Could have, Won’t have

TOTAL: 5 × 4 × 4 = 80 combinations GRANULARITY: REPRESENTATIVE

Step 2: Strategy

Dimension-by-dimension with representative items

Step 3: Enumeration

By Type

Functional Requirements

• End user: Login, search, purchase, view history
• Admin: User management, content moderation, reporting
• Developer: API access, webhook integration, SDK usage
• Operator: Deployment, monitoring, backup, scaling
• Business: Revenue tracking, conversion analytics

Non-Functional Requirements

• Performance: Response time < 200ms, 1000 concurrent users
• Security: Encryption, authentication, audit logging
• Reliability: 99.9% uptime, automated failover
• Usability: Accessibility WCAG 2.1, mobile responsive
• Maintainability: Code coverage > 80%, documentation

Constraints

• Technical: Must use PostgreSQL, must run on AWS
• Regulatory: GDPR compliance, SOC2 certification
• Business: Launch by Q3, budget under $500k

Assumptions

• Users have modern browsers
• Internet connectivity available
• English language primary

Step 4-5: Checks

All dimensions covered. No major gaps.

Step 6: Output

[Organized list as shown above]

Quality Checklist

Before completing:

• Dimensions confirmed or discovered
• Granularity level specified
• Appropriate strategy chosen for space size
• All dimensions represented
• Cross-dimensional items handled
• Gap check completed
• Output organized clearly
• Metadata included

Next Steps

After enumeration:

1. Use /mece_validation to verify MECE-ness
2. Use /dependency_extraction if items have dependencies
3. Use /topological_ordering if items need sequencing