A logical principle attributed to William of Ockham (1285-1349, also known as the law of parsimony, or the law of
simplicity is often quoted in stronger forms as in the following
statements:
- “If you have two theories which both explain the observed facts then you
should use the simplest until more evidence comes along” - “The simplest explanation for some phenomenon is more likely to be
accurate than more complicated explanations.” - “If you have two equally likely solutions to a problem, pick the
simplest.” - “The explanation requiring the fewest assumptions is most likely to be
correct.” - … or in the only form which takes its own advice…”Keep things simple!”