math-progress-monitor

# Math Progress Monitor ## When to Use Trigger on phrases like: - "am I on the right track" - "is this approach working" - "I'm stuck" - "should I try something else" - "verify my progress" - "check my reasoning" - "is this getting too complicated" Use mid-work to assess whether to continue, pivot, or decompose (Schoenfeld's metacognitive control). ## Process Run a structured progress assessment: ### 1. Inventory attempts **Ask:** "What have you tried so far?" - List each approach - Order by when attempted - Note time spent ### 2. Extract learnings **Ask:** "What did each attempt tell you?" - Even failures provide information - What was ruled out? - What patterns emerged? ### 3. Complexity check **Ask:** "Is complexity growing faster than expected?" - Warning signs: - More terms than you started with - New variables appearing - Calculation getting messier - Normal: complexity stays flat or decreases ### 4. Spot-check verification **Ask:** "Can you verify any intermediate results?" - Run numerical examples - Check limiting cases - Dimensional analysis ### 5. Decomposition check **Ask:** "Is there a simpler sub-problem to solve first?" - Identify dependencies - Find stepping stones - Reduce scope ### 6. Sunk cost assessment **Ask:** "What would abandoning this approach cost?" - Time already spent (irrelevant) - Insights that transfer (relevant) - Probability of success if continue ## Key Questions to Ask...