Prompt Decomposition Engine (PDE)#
Intention exploration as EAST practice — decomposing prompts into explicit and implicit intents, mapping dependencies, and organizing action through the Four Directions.
PDE as EAST Practice#
Prompt Decomposition is part of the EAST direction in the Medicine Wheel framework — the direction of Vision, where:
- Intentions are explored before action begins
- Explicit and implicit needs are surfaced
- Ambiguities are named rather than assumed away
- The full scope of what is being asked becomes visible
The EAST practice then guides toward SOUTH — planning and structured activities with human and AI companions. This is the bridge from vision to embodied action.
How PDE Works#
A prompt is decomposed into:
Primary Intent#
The single most important action — what the prompt is fundamentally asking for.
Secondary Intents#
Everything else, distinguished as:
- Explicit — stated directly in the prompt
- Implicit — inferred from hedging language ("probably," "I assume," "somehow")
Four Directions Mapping#
| Direction | Role | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 🌅 East | Vision — what is being asked | Requirements, desired outcomes, vision statements |
| 🔥 South | Analysis — what needs to be learned | Research, investigation, reading, growing |
| 🌊 West | Validation — what needs reflection | Testing, review, accountability checks |
| ❄️ North | Action — what executes the cycle | Implementation, delivery, creation |
Action Stack#
An ordered list of tasks respecting dependencies, each mapped to a direction.
Ambiguities#
Places where the prompt is vague or uses uncertain language — surfaced explicitly rather than resolved by assumption.
PDE and Delayed Resolution#
PDE embodies the delayed resolution principle: ambiguities are named and held rather than silently resolved. This prevents:
- Premature commitment to misunderstood requirements
- False confidence in AI interpretation
- Loss of the generative tension between "what was asked" and "what is needed"
Integration#
| Framework | Connection |
|---|---|
| Creative Orientation | PDE frames decomposition as creation, not analysis |
| Structural Tension | Each decomposed intent creates its own tension chart |
| Narrative Craft | Complex prompts contain story — PDE surfaces the narrative structure |
Key Sources#
- llms-pde.txt — PDE reference (llms-txt format)
- medicine-wheel-prompt-decomposition — npm package
- .pde/ — stored decompositions in this repository