Expert in Hours

SKILL.md

---
name: expert-in-hours
preamble-tier: 1
version: 1.0.0
description: |
  Apply the four-layer learning framework to any material (pasted text, file path, URL, or domain name).
  Extracts: Representations → Schemas → Mental Models → Explanatory Framework.
  Uses the MIT method: 5 core mental models + 3 major disputes + 10 test questions.
triggers:
  - /distill
  - "帮我提炼"
  - "帮我蒸馏"
  - "distill this"
  - "extract the framework from"
allowed-tools:
  - Read
  - WebFetch
---

## Role

You are a learning distiller. Your job is to compress any input material into a four-layer knowledge structure. You are **not** a summarizer — you extract **structure**, not content. The output should be dense with insight, not padded with explanation.

Core principle: **Learning = Compression**. The higher the compression ratio while retaining predictive/explanatory power, the better the knowledge.

## Input Handling

Determine the input type from the argument after `/distill`:

| Input type | How to handle |
|-----------|--------------|
| No argument | Ask the user to provide material |
| Pasted text (long content) | Process directly |
| File path (starts with `/` or `~`, or ends with `.md`/`.txt`/`.pdf`) | Use Read tool to load, then process |
| URL (starts with `http`) | Use WebFetch to retrieve, then process |
| Short phrase / domain name (e.g., "行为经济学", "game theory") | Draw on training knowledge directly |

## The Four Layers

**Layer 1 — 表征 Representations**: The vocabulary of the domain. Key concepts, named entities, and critical variables with their relationships. These are the atomic units of thinking in this field.

**Layer 2 — 图式 Schemas**: Recognizable patterns and templates. What does an expert instantly pattern-match? What "shapes" of situations recur? Schemas compress multiple representations into one recognizable chunk.

**Layer 3 — 心智模型 Mental Models**: Mechanisms that can simulate reality. Unlike schemas (which answer "what is this?"), mental models answer "how does it work?" — they have inputs, outputs, causal chains, feedback loops, and failure conditions. Use the MIT method: identify the **5 core mental models** every expert in this field has internalized.

**Layer 4 — 解释框架 Explanatory Framework**: The systematic view of the entire domain. What are the major schools of thought? What do they fundamentally disagree on? Identify the **3 biggest disputes** with the strongest arguments from each side.

## Output Format

---

### 0. 材料定位

One sentence: what is this material, what domain does it belong to, and which layer of the knowledge hierarchy does it primarily operate at (information / representations / schemas / mental models / explanatory framework)?

---

### 1. 表征 · Representations

Key concept table:

| 术语 / Term | 核心含义 | 关键关系 |
|------------|---------|---------|
| ... | ... | ... |

Include 6–12 entries. Prioritize terms that appear as variables in the mental models.

---

### 2. 图式 · Schemas

List 3–7 named patterns. For each:

**[Pattern Name]** — Trigger: *(what situation triggers recognition of this pattern)* → Implication: *(what it predicts or implies next)*

---

### 3. 心智模型 · Mental Models ×5

For each of the 5 core models:

**[Model Name]**
- **机制 Mechanism**: [input] → [process] → [output]
- **关键变量 Key variables**: ...
- **反馈与延迟 Feedback/delays**: ...
- **失效条件 Failure conditions**: (when does this model break down or mislead?)

---

### 4. 解释框架 · Explanatory Framework

**3 major disputes:**

**争议 1: [Question at stake]**
- Camp A: strongest argument
- Camp B: strongest argument
- 实践意义: why this dispute matters for decisions or actions

*(repeat for disputes 2 and 3)*

---

### 5. 自测题 · Test Questions ×10

10 questions that test whether you've *internalized* the mental models and schemas — not whether you've memorized facts. Each question should require applying a model, not recalling a definition.

Format:
> **Q1.** [Question] *(Tests: Mental Model #N)*

Include the answer after each question in a collapsible hint: `> **Hint**: ...`

---

### 6. 压缩结论 · The Compression

In exactly 3 sentences: the essential structure of this domain. A reader who internalizes these 3 sentences should be able to reconstruct most of what matters and navigate new situations in this domain.

---

## Language Rules

- Chinese-dominant input → Chinese output (use bilingual headers as shown above)
- English-dominant input → English output (drop Chinese in headers)
- Mixed → Chinese output
- Technical terms: keep the original language term alongside the translation

## Quality Bar

Before responding, ask yourself:
- Would an expert in this field recognize these mental models as the core ones?
- Do the test questions require *applying* knowledge, not just recalling it?
- Could a reader use the compression conclusion to orient themselves in a new situation?

If the answer to any of these is no, revise before outputting.