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How can I show that a given open-source project does not exist yet? (feddit.org)

submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by bremen15@feddit.org to c/ask_experienced_devs@programming.dev

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I work in research (uni) and am writing a framework for heat processes to optimize their costs. This goes both for private houses and industrial processes. The goal is to enable industry players to see that/when renewable energies and heat reuse with heat pumps are cheaper than fossil fuels. I do this using digital twins for components and on a system level.

My boss hesitates because he thinks this must already exist. I want to pursue that path with my research, so any insights there are welcome, too, but this is primarily about the open-source project.

I searched GitHub and came up empty, but that is only a subset of the search. Do you have any idea how I can find this, one way or another? It would also be great if I could show that it likely does not exist.

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[–] DarkNightoftheSoul@mander.xyz 10 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

its the black swan problem of induction. no definitive solution has yet been found; in fact iirc the possibility of a perfect solution has been disproven. this impossibility can be and has been used to justify any number of absurd and improbable positions, notably religion. you will have to settle for 'good enough' on this one. also, if the competition already exists in this space and is so hard to find, then the niche for your project seems open.

[–] bremen15@feddit.org 7 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Just so you know, my boss and I work in computer science, so your insights are well-received and understood.

So, can you now elaborate on showing that it likely does not exist?

[–] DarkNightoftheSoul@mander.xyz 8 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

the best you can do is make the best effort you can think of. industry-relevant repositories, github was a good start, word-of-mouth with relevant industry partners and universities. if the alternative to your project exists but is that hard to find, id say your niche exists regardless.

[–] DarkNightoftheSoul@mander.xyz 7 points 2 months ago

oh, i missed the community name. i should be candid and admit that i am not an experienced dev, just a person who saw your post and had that opinion to share