Sequential thinking

Sequential Thinking

Enables structured problem-solving through iterative reasoning with revision and branching capabilities.

Core Capabilities

• Iterative reasoning: Break complex problems into sequential thought steps
• Dynamic scope: Adjust total thought count as understanding evolves
• Revision tracking: Reconsider and modify previous conclusions
• Branch exploration: Explore alternative reasoning paths from any point
• Maintained context: Keep track of reasoning chain throughout analysis

When to Use

Use mcp__reasoning__sequentialthinking when:

• Problem requires multiple interconnected reasoning steps
• Initial scope or approach is uncertain
• Need to filter through complexity to find core issues
• May need to backtrack or revise earlier conclusions
• Want to explore alternative solution paths

Don't use for: Simple queries, direct facts, or single-step tasks.

Basic Usage

The MCP tool mcp__reasoning__sequentialthinking accepts these parameters:

Required Parameters

• thought (string): Current reasoning step
• nextThoughtNeeded (boolean): Whether more reasoning is needed
• thoughtNumber (integer): Current step number (starts at 1)
• totalThoughts (integer): Estimated total steps needed

Optional Parameters

• isRevision (boolean): Indicates this revises previous thinking
• revisesThought (integer): Which thought number is being reconsidered
• branchFromThought (integer): Thought number to branch from
• branchId (string): Identifier for this reasoning branch

Workflow Pattern

1. Start with initial thought (thoughtNumber: 1)
2. For each step:
   - Express current reasoning in `thought`
   - Estimate remaining work via `totalThoughts` (adjust dynamically)
   - Set `nextThoughtNeeded: true` to continue
3. When reaching conclusion, set `nextThoughtNeeded: false`

Simple Example

// First thought
{
  thought: "Problem involves optimizing database queries. Need to identify bottlenecks first.",
  thoughtNumber: 1,
  totalThoughts: 5,
  nextThoughtNeeded: true
}

// Second thought
{
  thought: "Analyzing query patterns reveals N+1 problem in user fetches.",
  thoughtNumber: 2,
  totalThoughts: 6, // Adjusted scope
  nextThoughtNeeded: true
}

// ... continue until done

Advanced Features

Revision Pattern

When you realize an earlier conclusion was wrong:

{
  thought: "Reconsidering thought #2: The N+1 problem isn't the main bottleneck - missing index is.",
  thoughtNumber: 5,
  totalThoughts: 8,
  nextThoughtNeeded: true,
  isRevision: true,
  revisesThought: 2
}

Branching Pattern

When exploring alternative approaches:

{
  thought: "Branch A: What if we solve this with caching instead of query optimization?",
  thoughtNumber: 6,
  totalThoughts: 10,
  nextThoughtNeeded: true,
  branchFromThought: 3,
  branchId: "caching-approach"
}

Tips

• Start with rough estimate for totalThoughts, refine as you progress
• Use revision when assumptions prove incorrect
• Branch when multiple approaches seem viable
• Express uncertainty explicitly in thoughts
• Adjust scope freely - accuracy matters less than progress visibility