Minimal Engineering
Abstract
Is it possible to do too much engineering? Is there a point beyond which doing more of it doesn’t pay off? Certain problems in engineering scale directly with the resource you throw at them, which means adding more of that resource doesn’t solve the problem; it only makes it worse. In fact, too much of anything is bad. Yield at the outputs will inevitably start decreasing sooner rather than later as you keep on pumping the inputs, all other things equal. The law of diminishing returns is inescapable and is at the heart of the engineering craft.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Software Engineering Techniques and Practices
Systems Engineering Methodologies and Applications
Construction Project Management and Performance
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Springer eBooks
- Pages
- 73–77
- Publication date
- 1 January 2026
- Language
- EN
- Document type
- Book chapter