Complexity vs. layering: number and order

The standard

Ordered multiplicity asks not only how many components are present, but whether they stand in a discernible sequence. Without that sequence, it remains complexity without depth.

Criteria

• Complexity can be described as a number of distinguishable components
• Layering requires a sequence, not merely a quantity
• A wine can be complex without seeming layered
• What is perceptible is the order, not only the number

Distinction

Complexity ≠ layering: one measures the number of components, the other their order. Ordered multiplicity distinguishes the two, because a high number without sequence yields no depth. Layering ≠ aroma complexity: aroma complexity counts the aromas, layering encompasses their unfolding.