# Recursion Tree Template

Track research depth and recursive findings.

---

## Template

```markdown
# Research Recursion Tree

## Research Topic
[Original question from user]

## Time Sensitivity
- Level: 🔴/🟠/🟡/🟢
- Source Time Window: [X months/years]

---

## Level 0: [Original Topic]

- **Status**: pending | in_progress | completed
- **Started**: [YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM]
- **Completed**: [YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM]
- **Problem Type**: Concept Comparison | Decision Support | Trend Analysis | Problem Diagnosis | Knowledge Organization
- **Key Finding**: [Main discovery]
- **Significance**: [Why this matters]
- **Has Deeper Cause**: YES | NO
- **Recursion Candidate**: [What to research next if YES]
- **Spawns**: Level 1 research on [specific subtopic]

---

## Level 1: [Subtopic 1]

- **Parent**: Level 0
- **Status**: pending | in_progress | completed
- **Started**: [YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM]
- **Completed**: [YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM]
- **Key Finding**: [Discovery]
- **Significance**: [Why this matters to parent finding]
- **Has Deeper Cause**: YES | NO
- **Recursion Candidate**: [What to research next if YES]
- **Spawns**: Level 2 research on [specific subtopic]
- **Sources**:
  1. [Source title](URL)
  2. [Source title](URL)

---

## Level 2: [Subtopic 2]

- **Parent**: Level 1
- **Status**: pending | in_progress | completed
- **Started**: [YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM]
- **Completed**: [YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM]
- **Key Finding**: [Discovery]
- **Significance**: [Why this matters to parent finding]
- **Has Deeper Cause**: YES | NO
- **Recursion Candidate**: [What to research next if YES]
- **Spawns**: Level 3 research on [specific subtopic]
- **Sources**:
  1. [Source title](URL)
  2. [Source title](URL)

---

## Level 3: [Subtopic 3]

- **Parent**: Level 2
- **Status**: pending | in_progress | completed
- **Started**: [YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM]
- **Completed**: [YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM]
- **Key Finding**: [Discovery]
- **Is Fundamental**: YES | NO
- **Stopping Reason**: [If YES, why this is irreducible]
- **Spawns**: None (depth reached)
- **Sources**:
  1. [Source title](URL)
  2. [Source title](URL)

---

## Depth Achievement

| Metric | Value |
|--------|-------|
| Current Depth | [N] |
| Minimum Required | 3 |
| Maximum Allowed | 5 |
| Can Stop | YES / NO |
| Stopping Reason | [If YES, explain] |

---

## Chain of Causation

```
[Level 0 Finding]
    ↓ because
[Level 1 Finding]
    ↓ because
[Level 2 Finding]
    ↓ because
[Level 3 Finding / Root Cause]
    ↓
[FUNDAMENTAL: This is irreducible because...]
```

---

## Recursive Findings Summary

| Level | Topic | Key Finding | Can Go Deeper? |
|-------|-------|-------------|----------------|
| 0 | [topic] | [finding] | YES/NO |
| 1 | [topic] | [finding] | YES/NO |
| 2 | [topic] | [finding] | YES/NO |
| 3 | [topic] | [finding] | NO (fundamental) |

---

## Artifacts Location

| Level | Directory |
|-------|-----------|
| 0 | `./research/<topic>/` |
| 1 | `./research/<topic>/recursive/level1_<subtopic>/` |
| 2 | `./research/<topic>/recursive/level2_<subtopic>/` |
| 3 | `./research/<topic>/recursive/level3_<subtopic>/` |
```

---

## Status Definitions

| Status | Meaning |
|--------|---------|
| pending | Not yet started |
| in_progress | Currently researching |
| completed | Research finished, findings documented |

---

## Stopping Reasons

When marking `Can Stop: YES`, document one of:

1. **Fundamental principle reached**: Physics law, math theorem, established definition
2. **Irreducible fact**: Historical fact, documented event, no deeper cause
3. **Maximum depth reached**: Hit depth limit of 5 levels
4. **Out of scope**: Further recursion leaves original question's domain

---

## Example

```markdown
# Research Recursion Tree

## Research Topic
Why is Phil Spencer leaving Xbox?

## Time Sensitivity
- Level: 🟡 Medium
- Source Time Window: 1-2 years

---

## Level 0: Phil Spencer Leaving Xbox

- **Status**: completed
- **Key Finding**: Xbox hardware revenue declining rapidly, leadership change to software-focused strategy
- **Has Deeper Cause**: YES
- **Recursion Candidate**: Why is Xbox hardware revenue declining?
- **Spawns**: Level 1 research on "Xbox hardware revenue decline causes"

---

## Level 1: Xbox Hardware Revenue Decline

- **Parent**: Level 0
- **Status**: completed
- **Key Finding**: Game Pass subscription model cannibalizing individual game sales; hardware sold at loss
- **Has Deeper Cause**: YES
- **Recursion Candidate**: Why does Game Pass cannibalize sales?
- **Spawns**: Level 2 research on "Game Pass cannibalization mechanism"

---

## Level 2: Game Pass Cannibalization Mechanism

- **Parent**: Level 1
- **Status**: completed
- **Key Finding**: Users wait for games to hit Game Pass instead of buying; subscription revenue doesn't offset lost sales for third-party titles
- **Has Deeper Cause**: YES
- **Recursion Candidate**: Why did Microsoft choose this model despite cannibalization?
- **Spawns**: Level 3 research on "Microsoft strategic shift"

---

## Level 3: Microsoft Strategic Shift

- **Parent**: Level 2
- **Status**: completed
- **Key Finding**: Under Satya Nadella, Microsoft pivoted from one-time sales to cloud services and recurring revenue. Xbox is now a cloud gaming service, not primarily a console.
- **Is Fundamental**: YES
- **Stopping Reason**: This is a fundamental business strategy decision at CEO level - no deeper cause within gaming domain

---

## Depth Achievement

| Metric | Value |
|--------|-------|
| Current Depth | 4 |
| Minimum Required | 3 |
| Maximum Allowed | 5 |
| Can Stop | YES |
| Stopping Reason | Fundamental strategic decision reached |

---

## Chain of Causation

```
Phil Spencer leaving Xbox
    ↓ because
Xbox hardware revenue declining rapidly
    ↓ because
Game Pass cannibalizing game sales, hardware loss-making
    ↓ because
Subscription model changes user purchasing behavior
    ↓ because
Microsoft's strategic pivot to cloud/recurring revenue under Nadella
    ↓
FUNDAMENTAL: CEO-level company strategy shift
```
```