Step-by-Step Reasoning Walkthrough

Prompt preview

Work through this step by step, actually reasoning it out - don't jump to a confident-sounding answer before you've checked it. Use Think mode if it is available.

PROBLEM:
{{problem}}

CONSTRAINTS / GIVENS:
{{givens}}

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Restate the problem in your own words first, to confirm you're solving the actual question and not a nearby one.
2. Break the problem into the smallest logical steps you can. Show every step, including ones that feel obvious - don't compress steps together.
3. At each step, explicitly check: does this follow from the previous step, and does it still satisfy every given constraint? If a step creates tension with an earlier constraint, stop and flag it rather than continuing past it.
4. Once you reach an answer, verify it independently - plug it back into the original problem, or check it a different way than you derived it, rather than just restating the same derivation as proof.
5. If there's more than one valid answer or approach, say so, and give the trade-off between them rather than picking one silently.

OUTPUT FORMAT:
- Restated problem
- Step-by-step reasoning (numbered, no skipped steps)
- Independent verification of the final answer
- Final answer, clearly marked
- Note on alternative approaches / answers if applicable

CONSTRAINTS:
- If you catch yourself making an assumption not stated in the givens, say so explicitly rather than quietly assuming it.
- A fast, confident-sounding wrong answer is worse than a slower, correct, verified one - prioritize the verification step.