MRPC — Markdown Reading Path Complexity

MRPC is the cyclomatic complexity analogue for a Markdown file. It builds a document navigation graph G_doc = (N, E) where nodes are sections, large code blocks, diagrams, footnotes, linked repository documents, and external domains, and edges are sequential, parent-child, internal-link, relative-link, external-link, and artifact-explanation relations.

Classical form

MRPC_raw = |E| − |N| + 2P

where P is the number of connected components.

Weighted form

Edges carry weights to reflect different navigation costs:

Edge type	Weight
Hierarchy (parent-child)	`0.15`
Sequential	`0.20`
Internal anchor	`0.50`
Relative repo link	`0.80`
External	`1.00`
Broken	`1.20`

MRPC = max(1, Σ weight(e) − |N| + 2P)

Interpretation

MRPC	Meaning
1–5	Mostly linear.
6–15	Branchy but contained.
16–35	Documentation hub — high navigational complexity.
> 35	Documentation subsystem; consider split or profile-specific threshold.

A tutorial with MRPC = 20 is suspect; an API index with MRPC = 20 is normal. Use profile-specific thresholds rather than a universal cap.

References

McCabe, T. J. (1976). A Complexity Measure. IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, SE-2(4): 308–320 — the cyclomatic ancestor. DOI · PDF.
Pirolli, P. & Card, S. (1999). Information Foraging. Psychological Review 106(4): 643–675 — basis for weighting external vs. relative vs. anchor edges. DOI.

Documentation Index

​Classical form

​Weighted form

​Interpretation

​References

​See also

Classical form

Weighted form

Interpretation

References

See also