There is a phrase: accidental complexity. Systems can be broken down into two sets of complexity: Accidental and Essential. Accidental complexity is there beca

There is a phrase: accidental complexity. Systems can be broken down into two sets of complexity: Accidental and Essential. Accidental complexity is there because of something to do with the system, but is not, strictly, inherent to the problem being solved. That would be essential complexity. Fred Brooks' essay "No Silver Bullet": http://worrydream.com/refs/Brooks-NoSilverBullet.pdf http://worrydream.com/refs/Brooks-NoSilverBullet.pdf And a good paper on the topic is Out of the Tarpit (http://curtclifton.net/papers/MoseleyMarks06a.pdf http://curtclifton.net/papers/MoseleyMarks06a.pdf) and a good writeup on that is here: https://blog.acolyer.org/2015/03/20/out-of-the-tar-pit/ https://blog.acolyer.org/2015/03/20/out-of-the-tar-pit/