- Fri Jul 09, 2021 11:32 am
#88609
Hi oohlow,
Thanks for the question! Three things that might help here:
First, you are just at the start of seeing this concept, and it will come up repeatedly in the later pages of the book. So, while I introduce the idea in chapter 3, that's nowhere near the end of it, and you will have many examples where hypotheticals are used to solve questions. that will likely do more than anything else to help show the various ways in which this useful technique is applied.
Second, I wouldn't say it's random, but it is indeed an "engineered" way of placing variables to see what options exist. Obviously, you have to conform to the rules, but within that framework you are looking to prove or disprove certain ideas in most cases, which means that hypos are typically used inside a relatively tight framework of constraints, where certain variables are already placed by the question (not always, but often).
Third, one helpful point is that List question tend to produce hypotheticals that can be reused (see page 167 for more info, and then watch for it in some of the games at the end of chapters).
I'd actually suggest going to the first game in the Linear problem set--on page 176--and doing that one now. that will show you some looks at the idea here, and I think underline how this concept works.
Overall, it's a useful tool, but not the first one we pull out--we tend to try this approach when nothing else is working, or when you feel lost on a question. In those instances, it can be a lifesaver!
Please let me know if that helps. Thanks!
