Skill

task-decomposition

Decomposes complex user goals into subtasks for multi-agent systems using sequential, parallel, hierarchical, conditional, and iterative strategies. Covers granularity, ambiguity handling, and design artifacts.

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Users come with goals, not subtasks. Task decomposition is how a multi-agent system breaks a complex user goal into pieces that individual agents can handle — and then reassembles the results into something coherent.

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Last CommitApr 25, 2026

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Task Decomposition

Decomposition Strategies

Sequential decomposition: Break the goal into ordered steps. Step 1 must complete before Step 2 starts.
Parallel decomposition: Break the goal into independent parts that can be worked on simultaneously.
Hierarchical decomposition: Break the goal into sub-goals, then break each sub-goal into tasks.
Conditional decomposition: The next step depends on the result of the current step. Different results lead to different paths.
Iterative decomposition: Start with a rough version, then refine through multiple passes.

Designing Decomposition Rules

For each type of user goal the system handles:

What's the entry point? How does the system receive the goal?
What are the subtasks? List all possible subtasks for this goal type.
What are the dependencies? Which subtasks depend on others' outputs?
What's the critical path? Which sequence of subtasks determines the minimum completion time?
What can be parallelised? Which subtasks can run simultaneously?
What's the reassembly logic? How do subtask results combine into the final output?

Granularity

How finely to decompose matters:

Too coarse: Single agents get tasks that are too complex, leading to lower quality
Too fine: Overhead from handoffs exceeds the benefit of specialisation
Just right: Each subtask matches one agent's sweet spot in terms of scope and complexity

Handling Ambiguity

User goals are often ambiguous. The system needs to:

Clarify before decomposing: Ask the user to specify when the goal is unclear
Decompose tentatively: Start with a plan and adjust as information emerges
Recompose when needed: If decomposition was wrong, restructure without starting over

Design Artefacts

Task decomposition trees for each goal type
Dependency maps showing subtask relationships
Parallelisation specifications
Reassembly logic definitions
Ambiguity handling protocols