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Tree of Thoughts (ToT)

Parallel thinking paths for complex problem solving

Tree of Thoughts (ToT) extends Chain-of-Thought by exploring and evaluating multiple solution paths in parallel. The AI branches into different possibilities at each step and selects the most promising paths.

How does ToT work?

Imagine a decision tree:

  • Each node is an intermediate step
  • Multiple branches extend from each node
  • The AI evaluates each branch and pursues the best ones
  • The optimal path is chosen at the end

Simple ToT Example

Business Strategy

Problem: Increase revenue by 20%

Level 1 - Main approaches:
├── A: Enter new markets
├── B: Expand existing customers
└── C: Extend product portfolio

Level 2 - Evaluation and deepening:
A: New markets
├── A1: International expansion (Risk: high, Potential: high)
├── A2: Target new customer groups (Risk: medium, Potential: medium)
└── A3: New distribution channels (Risk: low, Potential: medium)

B: Existing customers
├── B1: Upselling programs (Risk: low, Potential: medium)
├── B2: Strengthen customer loyalty (Risk: low, Potential: high)
└── B3: Optimize cross-selling (Risk: low, Potential: medium)

Level 3 - Final selection:
Optimal path: Combine B2 + A3

Practical Applications

Product Development

Task: Develop new feature for our app

Level 1 - Basic direction:
├── Improve user-friendliness
├── Add new functionality
└── Optimize performance

Level 2 - Concrete ideas (User-friendliness):
├── Simplify onboarding
│   ├── Interactive tutorial
│   ├── Video introduction
│   └── Step-by-step guide
├── Revise navigation
│   ├── New menu structure
│   ├── Improve search function
│   └── Introduce shortcuts
└── Personalization
    ├── Individual dashboards
    ├── Customizable themes
    └── AI-based recommendations

Assessment: Shortcuts + AI recommendations = best combination

Problem Solving

Problem: High employee turnover

Analysis levels:
├── Root cause research
│   ├── Salary/Benefits
│   ├── Work culture
│   └── Career opportunities
├── Immediate measures
│   ├── Exit interviews
│   ├── Employee survey
│   └── Benchmark analysis
└── Long-term solutions
    ├── Mentoring programs
    ├── Flexible work models
    └── Define career paths

Recommended path: Exit interviews → Work culture analysis → Flexible models

ToT Prompt Templates

Simplified Version

Imagine three different experts solving this problem.
Each develops their own approach:

Problem: [Your challenge]

Expert 1 (conservative): [Approach 1]
Expert 2 (innovative): [Approach 2]
Expert 3 (pragmatic): [Approach 3]

Each expert evaluates the other approaches.
Which path or combination is optimal?

Structured Version

Problem: [Define the problem]

Step 1 - Possible approaches:
- Option A: [Description]
- Option B: [Description]
- Option C: [Description]

Step 2 - Evaluate each option:
- Advantages/Disadvantages
- Probability of success
- Resource requirements

Step 3 - Deepen the best 2 options:
[Detailed elaboration]

Step 4 - Final recommendation

Iterative Version

Round 1: Brainstorm 5 solution approaches
Round 2: Choose the best 3 and develop them further
Round 3: Combine elements of the top 2 approaches
Round 4: Optimize the final solution

Advanced ToT Techniques

Multi-Criteria Evaluation

Rate each path by:
1. Feasibility (0-10)
2. Cost (0-10)
3. Time effort (0-10)
4. Success probability (0-10)

Only paths with total score > 30 are pursued

Allow Backtracking

If a path doesn't work:
1. Go back one step
2. Choose the second-best option
3. Explore alternative routes
4. Learn from the failure

Parallel Exploration

Pursue the top 3 paths simultaneously:

Path A: [Development]
Path B: [Development]
Path C: [Development]

Merge successful elements at the end

Practical Examples

Marketing Campaign

Goal: New product launch

Main strategies:
├── Digital First
│   ├── Social Media Blitz
│   ├── Influencer Partnership
│   └── Content Marketing
├── Traditional Media
│   ├── TV Advertising
│   ├── Print Ads
│   └── Radio Spots
└── Guerilla Marketing
    ├── Pop-up Events
    ├── Street Art
    └── Viral Stunts

Optimal mix: Social Media + Pop-up Events + Content Marketing

Software Architecture

Requirement: Scalable E-Commerce Platform

Architecture options:
├── Monolith
│   ├── Simple development
│   └── Difficult scaling
├── Microservices
│   ├── Independent services
│   ├── Complex orchestration
│   └── Optimal scaling
└── Serverless
    ├── No infrastructure management
    ├── Vendor lock-in
    └── Variable costs

Decision: Hybrid of Microservices + Serverless for critical components

Best Practices

GitBranch

Breadth before depth

First explore many options superficially

Target

Evaluation criteria

Define clear metrics for each path

RefreshCw

Flexibility

Stay open to course corrections

When to use ToT?

Perfect for:

  • Strategic decisions
  • Complex problem solving
  • Innovation projects
  • When multiple solution paths exist

Less suitable for:

  • Simple, linear tasks
  • Time-critical decisions
  • When only one correct answer exists

Combination with Other Techniques

ToT + Self-Consistency

"Develop three decision trees for the same problem.
Find commonalities in the optimal paths."

ToT + Generated Knowledge

"First generate expertise for each branch,
before conducting the evaluation."

Practical Exercise

Apply ToT to this challenge: "Your company needs to reduce operating costs by 15% without compromising quality."

  1. Identify 3 main approaches
  2. Develop 3 sub-options each
  3. Evaluate all paths
  4. Choose the optimal strategy

Pro tip: Visualize your thought tree! A graphical representation helps with decision-making.

Next step: Learn about Prompt Chaining for sequential, multi-stage tasks.