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Module 3: Advanced Reasoning Techniques
Beyond Basic Prompting

Master techniques for complex tasks requiring reasoning, planning, and structured analysis. From Chain-of-Thought to problem decomposition, learn to guide AI through sophisticated logic.

Estimated time: 5-6 hours
5 Complex Exercises
Advanced Level
Professional Scenarios

Course Progress

Module 1

Foundations

Module 2

Building Blocks

Module 3

Advanced Techniques

In Progress

Module 4

Enterprise Workflows

Module 5

Security & Ethics
🎯 Module Objective

Master advanced reasoning techniques that enable AI to tackle complex, multi-step problems. Learn to design prompts that guide AI through logical reasoning, explore multiple solutions, and decompose large problems into manageable components.

You will master:
  • Chain-of-Thought (CoT) prompting for step-by-step reasoning
  • Tree-of-Thought (ToT) for exploring multiple solution paths
  • Complex problem decomposition strategies
  • Professional applications across industries
  • Self-validation and error correction techniques
  • Structured decision-making frameworks

Advanced Reasoning Techniques

Chain-of-Thought

CoT

Guide AI through step-by-step reasoning by explicitly requesting intermediate steps. Forces logical progression and makes thinking process transparent.

Tree-of-Thought

ToT

Explore multiple reasoning paths in parallel, then evaluate and select the best approach. Enables comprehensive analysis of complex scenarios.

Problem Decomposition

PD

Break complex problems into hierarchical sub-problems with clear dependencies and sequence. Enables systematic approach to large-scale challenges.

Exercise 3.1: Chain-of-Thought Implementation Intermediate

Task: Solve this problem using CoT prompting:

"A company has 5 departments. Department A has 20 employees, B has 30% more than A, C has twice as many as B, D has half of C, E has 10 employees less than D. How many total employees?"

  1. Design a prompt that forces step-by-step reasoning
  2. Include a self-validation mechanism
  3. Test with and without CoT, compare results
  4. Add an explanation phase of the solution method
Complete CoT Prompt 
Solve this problem step by step, showing all calculations:

PROBLEM: A company has 5 departments. 
- Department A: 20 employees
- B: 30% more than A
- C: twice as many as B  
- D: half of C
- E: 10 employees less than D

STEPS:
1. Calculate employees B
2. Calculate employees C
3. Calculate employees D
4. Calculate employees E
5. Sum total

After each step, verify the calculation is correct.

[SELF-VALIDATION] Check:
- Are percentage calculations correct?
- Are operations exact?
- Is final result plausible?

Finally explain the method used in 2-3 sentences.
💡 CoT vs ToT: When to Use Each

Chain-of-Thought is ideal for problems with a single optimal solution path (mathematical problems, logical deductions). Tree-of-Thought excels in scenarios with multiple valid approaches (strategic planning, creative brainstorming).

Exercise 3.2: Tree-of-Thought Scenarios Advanced

Decision scenario: Your startup has €50,000 to invest. Options:

  • Digital marketing (Expected ROI: 180% in 6 months, risk: medium)
  • Product development (ROI: 250% in 12 months, risk: high)
  • Hiring (ROI: 150% in 9 months, risk: low)
  • Cash reserve (ROI: 0%, risk: none)

Task:

  1. Implement ToT by generating 3 alternative strategies
  2. For each strategy, evaluate pros/cons
  3. Assign scores based on ROI, risk, strategic alignment
  4. Choose the best strategy with justification
  5. Create a 6-month implementation plan
ToT Decision Framework 
STRATEGY 1: Focus Marketing (70% budget)
PRO: Quick ROI, scalable, measurable data
CON: High competition, rising acquisition costs
SCORE: ROI 8/10, Risk 6/10, Alignment 9/10

STRATEGY 2: Hybrid (40% marketing, 40% product, 20% reserve)
PRO: Diversification, sustainable growth
CON: Management complexity, diluted focus
SCORE: ROI 7/10, Risk 5/10, Alignment 8/10

STRATEGY 3: Conservative (60% product, 40% reserve)
PRO: Solid foundations, low operational risk
CON: Slow growth, limited market penetration
SCORE: ROI 6/10, Risk 3/10, Alignment 7/10

RECOMMENDED STRATEGY: #2 (Hybrid)
Why: Balances short-term growth with long-term development

6-MONTH PLAN:
Months 1-2: Campaign setup, MVP development
Months 3-4: Marketing scaling, user feedback
Months 5-6: Optimization, next round preparation

Professional Applications

Marketing Analytics

CoT for ROI optimization, campaign analysis, and predictive modeling with integrated tools.

Software Development

ToT for architecture design, microservices planning, and security assessment frameworks.

Human Resources

CoT for talent analytics, diversity assessment, and employee wellness program design.

Financial Analysis

ToT for portfolio optimization, risk modeling, and economic forecasting with ML integration.

Complex Problem Decomposition

Scenario: Your company wants to implement an AI system for:

  • Customer sentiment analysis (10,000+ reviews/month)
  • Automated responses to FAQs (30% of requests)
  • Support ticket prioritization
  • Weekly management report generation

Decomposition Requirements:

  • Hierarchical sub-problems (dependency tree)
  • Sequential tasks (temporal cascade)
  • Parallel tasks (independent components)
  • Critical checkpoints (key decisions)
  • Success metrics for each component
Exercise 3.3: Complex Problem Decomposition Enterprise

Task: Decompose the AI system project into:

  1. Hierarchical sub-problems with dependency tree
  2. Sequential tasks in temporal order
  3. Parallel tasks that can run independently
  4. Critical checkpoints for key decisions
  5. Success metrics for each component

Create a textual diagram of the architecture.

Project Architecture 
AI CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROJECT
│
├── PHASE 1: SENTIMENT ANALYSIS (parallel)
│   ├── 1.1 Data collection (API review platforms)
│   ├── 1.2 Preprocessing (cleaning, normalization)
│   ├── 1.3 Classification model (train/val/test)
│   └── 1.4 Real-time reporting dashboard
│
├── PHASE 2: FAQ AUTOMATION (sequential)
│   ├── 2.1 Identify top 100 FAQs
│   ├── 2.2 Create knowledge base
│   ├── 2.3 Setup retrieval system (RAG)
│   └── 2.4 Chatbot integration
│
├── PHASE 3: PRIORITIZATION (parallel)
│   ├── 3.1 Define urgency criteria
│   ├── 3.2 Automatic scoring model
│   └── 3.3 Ticket system integration
│
└── PHASE 4: REPORTING (sequential)
    ├── 4.1 Define KPI metrics
    ├── 4.2 Data extraction automation
    └── 4.3 Weekly report generation

CRITICAL CHECKPOINTS:
1. Phase 1 completed → Accuracy >85%
2. Phase 2 completed → Correct response >90%
3. Phase 3 completed → Time saving >30%
4. Phase 4 completed → Management satisfaction >8/10
📈 Chain-of-Thought for Marketing
Advanced data analysis, ROI optimization, and multi-channel strategies with step-by-step reasoning.
Multi-step CoT Marketing Analytics with Tool Integration:
"You are a CMO with access to analytics tools. Analyze data: open rate 30%, churn 15%. Step 1: Integrate web search for similar trends. Step 2: Suggest AI personalization. Output JSON: {analysis, recommendations}."
CoT Advanced ROI Optimization Process:
"Think iteratively: Step 1: Calculate current ROI. Step 2: Integrate ML model via tool. Step 3: Optimize budget allocation. Output: Revised strategy."
💻 Chain-of-Thought for Software Development
DevOps, security by design, and AI/ML integration with systematic reasoning frameworks.
Multi-step CoT Microservices Migration Planning:
"Think: Step 1: Assess monolith. Step 2: Design services. Step 3: Deploy with Kubernetes. Output: Migration plan."
CoT Advanced Scalability Testing Framework:
"Step 1: Load simulation via tool. Step 2: Bottleneck analysis. Step 3: Auto-scaling plan."

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