Module 3 of 7
3. Advanced Reasoning
Reasoning Strategies
Force the AI to reason before it answers
Chain of Thought
Ask AI to think step-by-step. Forces planning before answering, reducing logic errors.
Trigger: "Think step by step before answering"
Self-Consistency
Generate multiple answers and pick the most common. Reduces hallucination on factual tasks.
Trigger: Generate 3 answers, then pick consensus
Tree of Thought
AI explores multiple reasoning branches in parallel, evaluates each, and picks the best path.
Trigger: "Consider 3 approaches, evaluate, choose best"
For complex problems, you need to guide the model's reasoning process. These techniques enable the AI to solve multi-step problems that require logic and planning.
Reasoning Strategy Selection
Which reasoning technique to use for different problem types
| Strategy | Best For | Trigger Phrase | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chain-of-Thought | Math, logic, multi-step problems | "Think step by step" | High |
| Few-Shot | Pattern matching, formatting | Provide 2-3 examples | High |
| Tree-of-Thought | Complex decisions, exploration | "Consider multiple approaches" | Very High |
| Self-Reflection | Error correction, quality assurance | "Review your answer and fix errors" | High |