1) Constraints
A constraint is what must be true. Don’t decorate it. Don’t soften it.
2) Implications
If A is true, what follows? Most people stop one step early. Go one step further than feels necessary.
3) Elimination
When a path creates a contradiction, it’s dead. You don’t negotiate with contradictions. You remove them.
4) Necessity vs. Sufficiency (The Classic Trap)
- Necessary: must be true for the conclusion to hold
- Sufficient: enough to guarantee the conclusion
Many wrong answers come from treating “could be true” as “must be true.”
Closing Rule
Axiom puzzles never require advanced math. They require respecting the rules you’ve already been given.