Fuller's comprehensive design strategy finds indirect support in Polya's (1957) study of problem-solving, which sets out the paradox thus:
"the more ambitious plan may have more chances of success".
Polya illustrates this by giving a geometrical problem, which becomes soluble as soon as it is seen as being an instance of a more general problem.
In the case given, the general problem is easier to solve, and immediately throws light on the particular one.
"In fact, the main achievement in solving our first problem was to invent the second problem."
© Paul Taylor 2001