---
slug: "RecursiveRootCause"
name: "RecursiveRootCause"
type: "Reasoning"
layer: "Mind"
ref: "RecursiveRootCause#f132"
sema_id: "sema:RecursiveRootCause#mh:SHA-256:f132a6796ffbbddea29f4fe56ff3f81442c99390999348154b6f4ee146be4ae6"
tags: ["Mind","Reasoning"]
updated: 2026-11-11
mindscape: "bootstrap"
index_url: https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap.json
url: https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/RecursiveRootCause/
related: ["State","Bisect","WhyClimb","sema:Bisect#mh:SHA-256:20cceef8a924c82071b0e536bf6164512ca1a80f1f3bad033e6efa9eb3acfff3","sema:RecursionDive#mh:SHA-256:21c78ad8cc5e658fd19356cec9b998d9af1b02c54eaa96ce2d2f0ec4d8a75639","ContrastClass"]
---

# RecursiveRootCause

Recursive root cause analysis

Layer: Mind · Category: Reasoning

## Mechanism

Causal Drill: [State](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/State.md) the problem. Ask "Why did this happen?" Take the answer as new problem. Repeat until reaching an actionable root, within whatever depth cap the caller sets. Each level moves from symptom toward cause. Stop when you reach something you can change. It iteratively asks 'why' to traverse the causal chain.

## Invariants

- Causality Chain: Step(N) must be the direct cause of Step(N-1).
- Termination: Recursion stops at actionable root or fundamental axiom.

## Failure modes

- Single Track Blindness: Assuming a single linear chain of causality when the reality is a multi-factor mesh.

## Builds on

- [State](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/State.md) (Infrastructure; References)

## Used by

- [Bisect](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Bisect.md) (Mind; References)
- [WhyClimb](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/WhyClimb.md) (Mind; References)

## Identity

- Sema ID: `sema:RecursiveRootCause#mh:SHA-256:f132a6796ffbbddea29f4fe56ff3f81442c99390999348154b6f4ee146be4ae6`
- Ref: `RecursiveRootCause#f132`
- Supersedes:
  - `sema:RecursiveRootCause#mh:SHA-256:6dc1c6c6188891b7f40b08560272b1290dad04faf9f88185ae1b02550d8c6310`
  - `sema:RecursiveRootCause#mh:SHA-256:4df0a86d7cf4b453356bc364e8a4ccd1cde9722ecbb667ff0afd82a932512e1c`

## Links

- [Pattern page](https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/RecursiveRootCause/)
- [View in the interactive graph](https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/#RecursiveRootCause)
- [JSON](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/RecursiveRootCause.json)
- [Index of all patterns](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap.json)