Ockham's Razor

[Piers]

Here is a reply I made when someone made the same post on RPG about five years ago.

[ QUOTE ]
Take a problem consider the set of explanations. Order this set by
complexity and goodness (how well it fits in with the rest of observed
reality)


The number of 'bad' solutions increases dramatically with increase in
complexity, hence if you pick two solutions, the simplest is
almost always going to be better. This is basis for Occam's
Razor.


Paradoxically it is also true that for any solution, every higher
level of complexity contains a 'better' solution. This does not
contradict Occam's Razor, just highlights something different.




[/ QUOTE ]