What are chemistry constraints?

Chemistry constraints refer to the limitations and conditions under which chemical reactions and transformations occur. In discussing the assembly index and shortest path examples in chemistry, Lee Cronin highlights that you can build up a constraint space without needing extensive knowledge of all chemistry. This approach focuses on the minimal constraints necessary to map the synthesis of chemicals.

Moreover, Cronin challenges the traditional notion of chemical reactions as discrete events. Instead, he proposes that what we consider chemical reactions are actually the application of constraints. These constraints might include environmental conditions on Earth like gravity, temperature, and atmospheric pressure, as well as the availability of specific chemicals. This perspective shifts the focus from chemical reactions themselves to the broader conditions that enable these transformations to occur 1 2.