meta-pattern-recognitionlisted

# Meta-Pattern Recognition ## Overview When the same pattern appears in 3+ domains, it's probably a universal principle worth extracting. **Core principle:** Find patterns in how patterns emerge. ## Quick Reference | Pattern Appears In | Abstract Form | Where Else? | |-------------------|---------------|-------------| | CPU/DB/HTTP/DNS caching | Store frequently-accessed data closer | LLM prompt caching, CDN | | Layering (network/storage/compute) | Separate concerns into abstraction levels | Architecture, organization | | Queuing (message/task/request) | Decouple producer from consumer with buffer | Event systems, async processing | | Pooling (connection/thread/object) | Reuse expensive resources | Memory management, resource governance | ## Process 1. **Spot repetition** - See same shape in 3+ places 2. **Extract abstract form** - Describe independent of any domain 3. **Identify variations** - How does it adapt per domain? 4. **Check applicability** - Where else might this help? ## Example **Pattern spotted:** Rate limiting in API throttling, traffic shaping, circuit breakers, admission control **Abstract form:** Bound resource consumption to prevent exhaustion **Variation points:** What resource, what limit, what happens when exceeded **New application:** LLM token budgets (same pattern - prevent context window exhaustion) ## Red Flags You're Missing Meta-Patterns - "This problem is unique" (probably not) - Multiple teams independently solving "different" prob