Generate-and-Test Strategy
Generate multiple candidate solutions in parallel, then systematically test each against declared constraints rather than committing to the first plausible one — adapted from Langley & Simon's cognitive-science research on human expert problem-solving.
Problem
Single-path generation commits prematurely to suboptimal solutions. Multi-path generation alone (e.g. tree-of-thoughts) explores but doesn't always systematically verify against declared constraints. The team needs the discipline of generation-then-verification as a unit.
Solution
Two-stage workflow. Generate: produce K candidates using multi-path or sampling. Test: for each candidate, verify against declared constraints (deterministic where possible, LLM-judge where soft). Pick the highest-passing candidate or escalate if none passes. Distinct from multi-path-plan-generator (which generates candidates without mandating verification). Pair with strategic-preparation-phase (which provides the constraint list), planner-executor-verifier, multi-path-plan-generator.
When to use
- Problems with explicit declarable constraints.
- Generation cost is acceptable.
- Constraint verification is feasible (deterministic or LLM-judge).
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