The atomicity-complexity tradeoff is the tension between a note's independence and its contextual richness
Previous: A main note is a self-contained unit of information
The atomicity-complexity tradeoff is the tension between a note’s independence and its contextual richness. The more a note stands without its original context, the better it can be connected with other notes and arguments. This is a note’s atomicity. The opposite of this is complexity, where a note requires a lot of context, thus reducing its connectability with other notes.
The reason we’re able to relate ideas within different trains of thought is due, in part, to atomization, the practice of reducing ideas to their essential points. Atomicity makes ideas highly sensitive to context. The more “atomic” an idea, the more broadly you can employ it. The more complex an idea, the less surface area it has to be connected to others. [1, pp. 63–64]