| name | irreducible-core |
| description | Ships a terminal simplification claim with a single-file or gist core, section-by-section teaching, efficiency vs essence split, and optional commit-granular video or repo twin. Use when demystifying a stack or teaching from minimal runnable code. |
Irreducible Core
Distilled pattern: ship a terminal simplification claim—this is the smallest honest container for the idea—then teach through the file section by section.
When to use
- You are demystifying a stack (compiler, model, training loop, protocol) and want the reader to see the whole system at once.
- You want forks and ports without maintaining a framework.
Steps
- State the compression claim — One sentence: why you cannot delete another line without lying or hiding a real dependency.
- Pick one vessel — Prefer a single file or a gist as the canonical artifact; add Colab/notebook only as a runnable duplicate, not the source of truth.
- Walk the reader in document order — Dataset → core math → model → train → sample (or your domain’s equivalent). Each block answers “what problem does this solve?”
- Name what is “just efficiency” — Separate the invariant algorithm from speed tricks so experts know where to optimize without confusing beginners.
- Link the long-form explainer — Point to a video or post for the hardest subsection only; keep the artifact self-contained for the motivated reader.
Anti-patterns
- A “simple” repo with twenty packages where the idea is still scattered.
- Claiming minimality while hiding imports that do the real work.
- Teaching only via video with no stable text anchor.
Companion pattern: commit-granular curriculum
When the full stack is too large for one file, pair the minimal core with a repo whose git history is the syllabus (one conceptual step per commit), plus a long-form video or post that walks commits in order. Centralize errata and FAQ next to the repo so the teaching artifact stays maintainable.
Output shape
- One sentence: irreducibility claim.
- One link: canonical minimal artifact.
- Outline: section titles matching the file.
- One paragraph: efficiency vs essence.
