B.5.TC:4.5 - Choose the use and preserve the reason

Return the comparison in the form the work can use. A short explanation can state the question, the decisive construction, what agrees or differs and the resulting continuation.

Common outcomes are:

• One sufficient account. Use the account that answers the question under acceptable conditions and effort. State the limitation that would make another account necessary.
• Agreement for a stated range. Reuse either account for that result, choosing by effort, available tools or the further construction it makes easier. Preserve the relation that supports the agreement.
• Complementary uses. Give each account its question and contribution. When combining their results, establish the compatibility needed at the connection.
• A consequential unresolved difference. Keep the conditional answers and the premise or observation that would discriminate them. Continue with an unaffected result, a sufficient bound or the worthwhile inquiry selected for that difference.

Accuracy, reach, computational effort, learning effort and the ability to change the construction can matter differently across uses. Compare the values that can change this choice. If their trade-off is unresolved, C.11 supplies the decision method; a single “best theory” score would hide it.

Reopen when the question, premises, interpretation, available operation or relevant evidence changes. B.5.RR helps revise the affected reasoning. Reuse the comparison where its dependencies remain intact.