There is a technique in mathematics where, if you can express the "same" problem in a different domain, i.e. if you can prove that the two expressions are fundamentally the same, then it may turn out to be easier to solve in one domain than in another. For example, geometric vs. algebraic. This seems like a similar technique, except that it is expressing the "same" problem in a much less emotionally charged domain, so as to be able to think about it more dispassionately.