Ingres's Law

Ingres’s Law states that the complexity of a software system typically increases more rapidly than its size or the number of its components. In other words, as a system grows, managing and understanding it becomes disproportionately more challenging. This often leads to increased errors, difficulties in maintenance, and higher costs over time. The principle emphasizes that larger systems tend to become more intricate than initially planned, highlighting the importance of careful design, modularity, and ongoing management to keep complexity manageable.