Mind · Reasoning
LeastToMost
Solve subproblems from easiest to hardest sequentially
Definition
Mechanism
A prompting strategy that breaks a complex Task into a series of simpler subproblems, then solves them in sequence. Each subproblem's solution becomes context for the next. Unlike standard decomposition, the subproblems are ordered from easiest to hardest, and solutions explicitly build on each other. It employs Decompose to sort sub-tasks by complexity, solving them sequentially.
Preconditions
- Complex problem
- Decomposition strategy
Postconditions
- Full solution built from simple parts
Invariants
- Solution to P(i) enables P(i+1)
- Subproblems solved in order of dependency
Risks
Failure modes
Subproblem Coupling
Later subproblems depend on earlier errors.
Ordering Misjudgment
Wrong difficulty ordering leads to missing prerequisites.
Overhead
Simple problems don't benefit from decomposition.
Relationships
Builds on
Accepts
Infrastructure
The atomic unit of intent
Nothing in this library builds on this pattern yet.
Reference