Occam's razor is a principle used in logic and problem-solving. It states that among competing hypotheses, the hypothesis with the fewest assumptions should be chosen. In other words, the simplest explanation is usually the correct one. The Gordian Knot is a legend associated with Alexander the Great, often used as a metaphor for an intractable problem (disentangling an "impossible" knot) solved easily by cheating or "thinking outside the box" ("cutting the Gordian knot"):