Criteria for A Good Synthesis

It sometimes happens that over twenty or thirty different syntheses are published for a single biofunctional molecule, because so many different synthetic routes are possible for that target. Then, how can we regard 

Yield of each step Overall yield linear convergent  

Linear synthesis versus convergent synthesis. Reprinted with permission of Shokabo Publishing 

Recognition of possible synthons in a target molecule is the most important factor to make its synthesis simple or complicated. Let us compare the efficiency and simplicity of three different syntheses of (8 ,10 )-8,10-dodecadien-l-ol (11), the female-produced sex pheromone of the codling moth, Cydia pomonella. This moth is a notorious pest of apple orchards. 

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