napkin-mathlisted

# Napkin Math Before starting any calculation, read `references/tables.md` for the base rate numbers. ## Method ### 1. Decompose the problem (Fermi decomposition) Break the question into things you can estimate independently. Write them down as assumptions. Keep it to 6 or fewer assumptions — if you need more, you're overcomplicating it. ### 2. Look up base rates Use the reference tables in `references/tables.md`. Pick the operation that most closely matches each component. ### 3. Identify the dominant constraint In most systems, one operation is 10-100x slower than the rest. Find it and model that — the other components are noise. ### 4. Calculate with exponents Work in `c * 10^e` form. The exponent `e` is what matters — it gets you within an order of magnitude. The coefficient `c` is secondary. ### 5. Keep the units Carry units through every step. They act as a checksum — if the units don't resolve to what the question asks, you made an error. ### 6. Replay the calculation in code The replay is scratch work: it validates the formulas you derived against executable code before you write a single line of output. Rewrite the arithmetic as a short throwaway script (Python or similar) that computes the answer directly from the assumption values — the only numbers it may contain are the assumptions themselves, never intermediate results from your hand math: ```python line_bytes, rps, days, compression = 1_000, 100_000, 30, 3 # assumptions only print(line_bytes *