What is Chain-of-Thought Prompting?

Chain-of-Thought (CoT) Prompting is one of the well-known prompting techniques used to interact with artificial intelligence models.

• Prompt Type: Reasoning-Based
• Definition: The AI is instructed to explain its reasoning step-by-step to solve a problem, enhancing clarity and accuracy.
• Typical Use Case: Solving mathematical, logical, or analytical problems where showing the process improves understanding.
• Advantages: Encourages logical reasoning; improves accuracy for complex tasks.
• Disadvantages: Can be verbose; may slow down response time.
• Implementation Tips: Explicitly ask the AI to “show your work” or “explain each step” to ensure detailed reasoning.
• Skill Level Required: Intermediate – Requires understanding of how to frame questions to elicit step-by-step reasoning.

Examples:

1. “Calculate 15% of $50 by breaking it down step-by-step.”
2. “Determine if 24 is a prime number, explaining each step.”
3. “Solve this riddle step-by-step: I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. What am I?”