[For Beginners] Plan-and-Solve (PS) Prompting
Have you ever asked ChatGPT something and thought, "The answer feels a bit off..."?
I recently realized something. AI tends to be a bit too eager to answer as soon as it's asked a question. Even humans would fail if they tried to answer a difficult problem immediately without taking a moment to think, "Hmm, let me see..."
That's when I discovered the "Plan-and-Solve (PS) Thinking" approach. It's incredibly simple, yet highly effective.
What is Plan-and-Solve (PS) thinking? To put it simply...
In short, it's just "plan before you execute." When you ask ChatGPT a question normally, the AI tries to output answers in the order they come to mind. But if you add the phrase "Use Plan-and-Solve (PS) thinking," the AI will follow these two steps:
Step 1: Plan
"Okay, let's first organize what needs to be done."
Step 2: Solve
"Let's go through it one by one according to the plan."
That's all it takes. But this "taking a breath" is surprisingly effective.
Why is Plan-and-Solve (PS) thinking necessary?
Since AI is fundamentally a "machine that predicts the next word," when it answers impulsively, it tends to make mistakes like these:
Skipped step error: "Wait, didn't you skip the calculation in the middle?"
Calculation error: "Aren't the numbers a bit off?"
Logical leap: "Why did you reach that conclusion?"
Even humans forget ingredients or mess up the order when cooking without a recipe. AI is the same. That's why it's better to decide, "I'm going to make it in this order today!" before starting, to avoid failure.
How do you actually use it? Let's look at two examples.
Example 1: Math problems (something AI is not great at)
Question
"I have 23 apples. I ate 8 of them and then received 15 more. After that, I gave half to a friend. How many do I have now?"
When asked normally
The AI might rush into the calculation, saying "Hmm, 23-8=15, and 15+15=30..." and get confused in the middle, or forget to divide by half.
When you say "Use Plan-and-Solve (PS) thinking"
[Plan]
1. Subtract the eaten amount from the initial count.
2. Add the received amount.
3. Divide the total by 2.
[Solve]
1. 23 - 8 = 15 apples
2. 15 + 15 = 30 apples
3. 30 ÷ 2 = 15 apples
Answer: 15 apples
Look at this peace of mind. With a plan, it's clear at a glance what is being done and where.
Example 2: Weekend travel planning (daily life edition)
Question
"I want to go on a weekend trip from Tokyo to Kyoto. With a budget of 50,000 yen, please create a plan focusing on sightseeing and delicious food."
When asked normally
The AI might suggest things as they come to mind, like "Go by Shinkansen, see Kiyomizu-dera, have yudofu for lunch..." and end up saying, "Wait, did I go over budget?"
When you say "Use Plan-and-Solve (PS) thinking"
【Plan】
1. Determine the breakdown of the 50,000 yen budget (transportation, accommodation, food, sightseeing)
2. Confirm transportation methods and times
3. Prioritize sightseeing spots
4. Pick out dining locations
5. Create a schedule
【Solve】
1. Budget allocation
- Shinkansen round trip: approx. 28,000 yen
- 1 night accommodation: 15,000 yen
- Remaining 7,000 yen for food and sightseeing
2. Travel: Tokyo to Kyoto takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes by Shinkansen
3. Sightseeing priority
- Must-see: Kiyomizu-dera, Fushimi Inari
- If time permits: Kinkaku-ji
4. Dining
- Lunch: Yudofu set meal near Kyoto Station (2,000 yen)
- Dinner: Kyo-ryori in Pontocho (5,000 yen)
5. Timeline
- Saturday: Depart Tokyo at 8:00 AM -> Arrive in Kyoto at 10:30 AM -> Kiyomizu-dera -> Lunch -> Fushimi Inari -> Check into accommodation -> Dinner in Pontocho
- Sunday: Kinkaku-ji after breakfast -> Depart Kyoto in the afternoon -> Arrive in Tokyo in the evening
By planning ahead, you can stick to your budget and time, and most importantly, you'll have fewer "I forgot that!" moments.
The essence of Plan-and-Solve (PS) thinking: Two phases
Let's look at this in a bit more detail.
Phase 1: Plan phase
What the AI does here
- Grasp the core of the question ("What exactly am I being asked?")
- Identify necessary information (numbers, conditions, constraints, etc.)
- Design the path to the goal ("I should do this in the order of 1 -> 2 -> 3")
Purpose
Preventing oversights and grasping the big picture. It's like spreading out a map before you set off.
Phase 2: Solve phase
What the AI does here
- Execute one by one according to the plan
- Clearly state the result of each step ("Up to this point, it has become XX")
- Be especially careful with calculations
Purpose
Ensuring accuracy. It's like following the instructions of a car navigation system.
Why is this effective?
Actually, there is a famous instruction to "think step-by-step," but Plan-and-Solve (PS) thinking is an evolution of that.
Ordinary "step-by-step"
It feels like thinking while running. "Let's just take it one step at a time."
Plan-and-Solve (PS) thinking
It feels like looking at a map before running. "Let's decide on the route first and follow it reliably."
This difference makes a huge impact, especially in complex tasks.
When is it good to use?
Scenarios where Plan-and-Solve (PS) thinking is particularly useful
- Questions involving calculations: Budget allocation for shopping, splitting bills, investment simulations, etc.
- Tasks requiring multiple steps: Event planning, moving arrangements, project management
- Things that need logical deduction: Problem-solving, decision-making, comparative analysis
Conversely, it might be overkill for casual small talk or creative writing. You don't need a planning phase for "What should I have for dinner tonight?" lol
Trying it out
It's super easy to use. Just add "Use Plan-and-Solve (PS) thinking" at the beginning or end of your question.
Example
- "Using Plan-and-Solve (PS) thinking, create a budget plan for living alone with 50,000 yen a month for food expenses."
- "I want to earn 30,000 yen a month from a side job; create a plan using Plan-and-Solve (PS) thinking."
- "Create a to-do list for moving preparations using Plan-and-Solve (PS) thinking."
With just this, the quality of the AI's response improves significantly.
Summary: AI also needs 'time to think calmly'
Plan-and-Solve (PS) thinking is essentially a technique to 'have the AI take a breath'.
We humans also write things down and organize them before tackling difficult tasks, right? AI is the same. If you have it make a plan first instead of trying to give an answer immediately, it will return surprisingly accurate and useful answers.
To recap the features:
- Separation: Clearly separate planning and execution.
- Comprehensiveness: Confirm everything that needs to be done in advance.
- Accuracy: Proceed while checking each step reliably.
From now on, when you use ChatGPT or other AIs, if you think something is a bit complex, try saying 'using Plan-and-Solve (PS) thinking.' You will be surprised, thinking, 'Wait, was it this useful?'
The way we interact with AI changes dramatically with just a little bit of effort. I am still in the trial-and-error phase myself, but let's enjoy playing with AI together!
Afterword
Thank you for reading this far.
I think Plan-and-Solve (PS) thinking is quite easy to use and convenient.
However, I don't think it will be understood well if you just abbreviate it to 'using PS thinking,' so I recommend taking the trouble to say 'using Plan-and-Solve (PS) thinking' at first.
I once accidentally said Plan and Simulation lol
It would encourage me if you could 'follow' or 'like' this!
I look forward to your continued support!
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