# TRIZ 40 Inventive Principles *Genrich Altshuller's 40 Inventive Principles, derived from analysis of 2.5 million patents. Each principle is a domain-independent strategy for resolving technical contradictions.* --- ## 1. Segmentation **Description:** Divide an object or system into independent parts. Make an object sectional or easy to disassemble. Increase the degree of segmentation. **Examples:** - Modular furniture that ships flat and assembles on-site - Splitting a software monolith into microservices for independent scaling - Sectional concrete barriers that can be reconfigured for different road layouts --- ## 2. Taking Out (Extraction) **Description:** Extract the disturbing part or property from an object. Extract only the necessary part or property. **Examples:** - Noise-canceling headphones that extract and invert the noise signal - Using a bank's ATM network instead of building physical branches - Extracting heat from server rooms to warm adjacent offices --- ## 3. Local Quality **Description:** Change an object's structure from uniform to non-uniform. Change the external environment or external influence from uniform to non-uniform. Make each part of an object function in conditions most suitable for its operation. **Examples:** - Variable-density foam mattresses (firm center, soft edges) - Progressive lens eyeglasses with different focal zones - Differentiated pricing by region in SaaS products --- ## 4. Asymmetry **Description:** Change the shape or properties of an object from symmetrical to asymmetrical. If an object is already asymmetrical, increase the degree of asymmetry. **Examples:** - Asymmetric tire tread patterns optimized for different road conditions - Unequal-length windshield wipers for maximum coverage - A/B testing where traffic splits are 90/10 instead of 50/50 for faster learning --- ## 5. Merging (Consolidation) **Description:** Bring closer together identical or similar objects or operations in space. Bring closer together identical or similar objects or operations in time. **Examples:** - Multi-tool devices (Swiss Army knife) - Container ships consolidating goods from many shippers - Batch processing multiple database queries into a single transaction --- ## 6. Universality **Description:** Make an object or system perform multiple functions, eliminating the need for other objects or systems. **Examples:** - Smartphone replaces camera, GPS, music player, calculator, flashlight - A sofa bed that serves as both seating and sleeping surface - A single CLI command that handles setup, configuration, and validation --- ## 7. Nested Doll (Nesting) **Description:** Place one object inside another. Pass one object through a cavity in another. Use multiple nesting levels. **Examples:** - Telescoping antenna segments - Measuring cups that nest inside each other for storage - Docker containers running inside VMs running inside cloud instances --- ## 8. Anti-Weight (Counterweight) **Description:** Compensate for the weight or force of an object by merging with another object that provides a lifting or opposing force. Compensate by interaction with the environment. **Examples:** - Helium balloons attached to heavy advertising signs - Counterweights in elevators reducing motor energy requirements - Using customer referral credits to offset acquisition costs --- ## 9. Preliminary Anti-Action **Description:** If it will be necessary to perform an action with both harmful and useful effects, perform a counteraction in advance to control the harmful effects. **Examples:** - Pre-stressing concrete with tension cables before load application - Vaccinating before exposure to disease - Writing rollback scripts before deploying database migrations --- ## 10. Preliminary Action **Description:** Perform the required change to an object completely or partially in advance. Pre-arrange objects so they can act from the most convenient position without delay. **Examples:** - Pre-pasted wallpaper that only needs water to activate - Pre-compiled binary distributions of software - Staging inventory near expected demand (Amazon fulfillment centers) --- ## 11. Beforehand Cushioning **Description:** Prepare emergency means beforehand to compensate for the relatively low reliability of an object. **Examples:** - Airbags in vehicles - Automatic database backups before schema migrations - Circuit breaker patterns in distributed systems --- ## 12. Equipotentiality **Description:** Change operating conditions so that an object need not be raised or lowered. Minimize potential energy changes. **Examples:** - Canal locks that bring water level to the boat instead of lifting the boat - Conveyor belts at loading dock height eliminating manual lifting - Zero-config software that works at installation without setup steps --- ## 13. The Other Way Round (Inversion) **Description:** Invert the action. Make a movable part fixed and a fixed part movable. Turn the object upside down. **Examples:** - Treadmill (person stays stationary, ground moves) - Rotisserie cooking (food rotates, heat source is fixed) - Pull-based CI/CD pipelines instead of push-based deployments --- ## 14. Spheroidality (Curvature) **Description:** Move from flat surfaces to curved surfaces, from straight lines to curves. Use rollers, balls, spirals. Move from linear to rotary motion. **Examples:** - Ball bearings replacing sliding friction surfaces - Spiral heat exchangers increasing surface area in compact space - Iterative development cycles replacing linear waterfall planning --- ## 15. Dynamics **Description:** Allow or design the characteristics of an object, process, or system to change to be optimal at each stage of operation. Divide an object into parts capable of movement relative to each other. **Examples:** - Adjustable-height standing desks - Dynamic pricing algorithms (airlines, ride-sharing) - Adaptive learning platforms that adjust difficulty based on student performance --- ## 16. Partial or Excessive Action **Description:** If 100% of an effect is hard to achieve, use slightly less or slightly more. The excess or shortage may then be used to advantage. **Examples:** - Spray painting slightly beyond edges, then trimming the mask - Over-provisioning cloud servers, then scaling down based on actual load - Casting metal parts slightly oversized, then machining to precision --- ## 17. Another Dimension **Description:** Move an object in two- or three-dimensional space. Use a multi-story arrangement instead of a single story. Tilt or re-orient the object on its side. Use the other side of a given surface. **Examples:** - Multi-level parking garages - Double-sided circuit boards - Adding time as a dimension to scheduling problems (4D BIM in construction) --- ## 18. Mechanical Vibration **Description:** Cause an object to oscillate or vibrate. Increase frequency up to ultrasonic. Use resonance frequency. Use piezoelectric vibrators instead of mechanical ones. **Examples:** - Ultrasonic cleaning baths for precision parts - Vibrating concrete during pouring to eliminate air bubbles - A/B test rapid iteration cycles to find product-market resonance --- ## 19. Periodic Action **Description:** Replace continuous action with periodic or pulsating action. If an action is already periodic, change the frequency. Use pauses between impulses for additional action. **Examples:** - Pulsed laser cutting (higher peak power, less heat damage) - Spaced repetition in learning (Anki flashcards) - Cron-triggered batch processing instead of continuous polling --- ## 20. Continuity of Useful Action **Description:** Carry on work without a break. All parts of an object should work at full capacity at all times. Eliminate idle or intermittent actions. **Examples:** - Continuous casting of steel replacing batch ingot casting - Hot-swappable server components allowing maintenance without downtime - Streaming data pipelines replacing batch ETL jobs --- ## 21. Skipping (Rushing Through) **Description:** Conduct a process or certain stages at high speed. Pass quickly through a dangerous or harmful stage. **Examples:** - Flash pasteurization preserving flavor while killing bacteria - Rapid prototyping to validate ideas before investing in production - Speed-reading through boilerplate legal text, focusing on non-standard clauses --- ## 22. Blessing in Disguise (Convert Harm to Benefit) **Description:** Use harmful factors or environmental effects to achieve a positive effect. Eliminate the harmful factor by combining with another harmful factor. Amplify a harmful factor to the point where it is no longer harmful. **Examples:** - Using waste heat from power plants for district heating - Controlled forest burns preventing catastrophic wildfires - Treating user complaints as free product research data --- ## 23. Feedback **Description:** Introduce feedback to improve a process. If feedback already exists, change its magnitude or influence. **Examples:** - Thermostat-controlled heating systems - Code review processes catching bugs before production - Net Promoter Score surveys feeding into product roadmap decisions --- ## 24. Intermediary (Mediator) **Description:** Use an intermediary carrier article or process. Merge one object temporarily with another that can be easily removed. **Examples:** - Using a real estate agent between buyer and seller - API gateway mediating between clients and microservices - Scaffolding supporting a building during construction, then removed --- ## 25. Self-Service **Description:** Make an object serve itself by performing auxiliary helpful functions. Use waste resources, energy, or substances. **Examples:** - Self-cleaning oven using high heat to burn off residue - Solar-powered parking meters - Self-documenting code that generates its own API reference --- ## 26. Copying **Description:** Use a simplified and inexpensive copy instead of an unavailable, expensive, or fragile object. Replace an object or process with optical copies at a different scale. If visible optical copies are used, move to infrared or ultraviolet copies. **Examples:** - Wind tunnel models of aircraft at 1/10 scale - Digital twins of manufacturing equipment for simulation - Staging environments that mirror production for testing --- ## 27. Cheap Short-Living Objects **Description:** Replace an expensive object with multiple inexpensive objects, sacrificing certain qualities like lifespan. **Examples:** - Disposable medical gloves replacing sterilizable rubber gloves - Spot instances in cloud computing (cheap but interruptible) - MVP launches that validate quickly before building the "real" product --- ## 28. Mechanics Substitution **Description:** Replace a mechanical means with sensory (optical, acoustic, taste, smell) means. Use electric, magnetic, or electromagnetic fields. Replace static fields with moving fields, fixed with changing, unstructured with structured. **Examples:** - Touch screens replacing physical keyboards and buttons - QR codes replacing physical tickets - Event-driven architecture replacing polling-based systems --- ## 29. Pneumatics and Hydraulics **Description:** Use gas and liquid parts of an object instead of solid parts. Inflatable and hydrofilled objects, air cushion, hydrostatic and hydro-reactive. **Examples:** - Air suspension in luxury vehicles - Hydraulic lift tables replacing mechanical screw jacks - Fluid organizational structures replacing rigid hierarchies (applied abstractly) --- ## 30. Flexible Shells and Thin Films **Description:** Use flexible shells and thin films instead of three-dimensional structures. Isolate the object from the external environment using flexible shells and thin films. **Examples:** - Shrink-wrap packaging conforming to product shape - Thin-film solar cells on building facades - API wrappers providing a thin interface over complex legacy systems --- ## 31. Porous Materials **Description:** Make an object porous or add porous elements. If an object is already porous, use the pores to introduce a useful substance or function. **Examples:** - Porous concrete for drainage in parking lots - Foam metal for lightweight structural components - Permeable organizational boundaries allowing cross-team collaboration --- ## 32. Color Changes **Description:** Change the color of an object or its external environment. Change the transparency of an object or its external environment. Use colored additives to observe objects or processes. **Examples:** - Thermochromic baby spoons that change color when food is too hot - Syntax highlighting in code editors - Heat maps in analytics dashboards revealing usage patterns --- ## 33. Homogeneity **Description:** Make objects interacting with a given object of the same material or close to it in behavior. **Examples:** - Ice containers for keeping drinks cold (same material, no contamination) - Using the same programming language across frontend and backend (Node.js) - Diamond-coated drill bits for cutting diamond --- ## 34. Discarding and Recovering **Description:** Make portions of an object that have fulfilled their functions go away or modify themselves during operation. Conversely, restore consumable parts during operation. **Examples:** - Dissolving surgical sutures - Rocket stage separation during launch - Ephemeral containers that spin up, execute, and self-destruct --- ## 35. Parameter Changes **Description:** Change an object's physical state (solid to liquid, liquid to gas). Change concentration or consistency. Change the degree of flexibility. Change the temperature. **Examples:** - Freeze-drying food for lightweight transport, then rehydrating - Changing database consistency levels based on operation type (eventual vs strong) - Phase-change materials in building insulation storing and releasing heat --- ## 36. Phase Transitions **Description:** Use phenomena occurring during phase transitions (volume changes, heat release or absorption). **Examples:** - Steam turbines using water-to-steam expansion for power - Ice packs using solid-to-liquid absorption for cooling - Organizational pivots using market transition moments for competitive advantage --- ## 37. Thermal Expansion **Description:** Use thermal expansion or contraction of materials. If thermal expansion is already used, use multiple materials with different coefficients. **Examples:** - Bimetallic strips in thermostats curving to open/close circuits - Shrink-fit assembly of mechanical parts - Expanding team capacity during peak seasons, contracting during lulls --- ## 38. Strong Oxidants (Accelerated Oxidation) **Description:** Replace common air with oxygen-enriched air. Replace enriched air with pure oxygen. Expose air or oxygen to ionizing radiation. Use ionized oxygen (ozone). **Examples:** - Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for wound healing - Ozone treatment for water purification - Intensifying competitive pressure to accelerate innovation (applied abstractly) --- ## 39. Inert Atmosphere **Description:** Replace a normal environment with an inert one. Add neutral parts or inert additives to an object. **Examples:** - Nitrogen-flushed food packaging extending shelf life - Argon gas in double-pane windows for insulation - Sandboxed execution environments isolating untrusted code --- ## 40. Composite Materials **Description:** Change from uniform to composite (multiple) materials. Use materials with complementary properties. **Examples:** - Carbon fiber reinforced polymers (strong and lightweight) - Reinforced concrete (compression resistance of concrete + tension resistance of steel) - Cross-functional teams combining diverse expertise domains --- ## The 39 Engineering Parameters For reference, the 39 parameters used in the TRIZ Contradiction Matrix: | # | Parameter | |---|-----------| | 1 | Weight of moving object | | 2 | Weight of stationary object | | 3 | Length of moving object | | 4 | Length of stationary object | | 5 | Area of moving object | | 6 | Area of stationary object | | 7 | Volume of moving object | | 8 | Volume of stationary object | | 9 | Speed | | 10 | Force | | 11 | Stress or pressure | | 12 | Shape | | 13 | Stability of object composition | | 14 | Strength | | 15 | Duration of action of moving object | | 16 | Duration of action of stationary object | | 17 | Temperature | | 18 | Illumination intensity | | 19 | Use of energy by moving object | | 20 | Use of energy by stationary object | | 21 | Power | | 22 | Loss of energy | | 23 | Loss of substance | | 24 | Loss of information | | 25 | Loss of time | | 26 | Quantity of substance | | 27 | Reliability | | 28 | Accuracy of measurement | | 29 | Ease of manufacture | | 30 | Ease of use | | 31 | Repairability | | 32 | Adaptability or versatility | | 33 | Device complexity | | 34 | Difficulty of detecting and measuring | | 35 | Degree of automation | | 36 | Productivity | | 37 | Harmful factors acting on object | | 38 | Harmful side effects | | 39 | Manufacturability | --- ## Reference Altshuller, G. (1999). *The Innovation Algorithm: TRIZ, Systematic Innovation and Technical Creativity.* Worcester, MA: Technical Innovation Center. Altshuller, G. (1984). *Creativity as an Exact Science.* New York: Gordon and Breach. Savransky, S. D. (2000). *Engineering of Creativity: Introduction to TRIZ Methodology of Inventive Problem Solving.* Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.