---
slug: "ChainOfThought"
name: "ChainOfThought"
type: "Reasoning"
layer: "Mind"
ref: "ChainOfThought#27ad"
sema_id: "sema:ChainOfThought#mh:SHA-256:27ad1f2386f58e1f9e1983c97f6dbeb8f1345e1d9b9e00af30871b97d21e0c95"
tags: ["Mind","Reasoning"]
updated: 2026-11-11
mindscape: "bootstrap"
index_url: https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/index.json
url: https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/ChainOfThought/
related: ["Reflexion","StepBack","Chain","Think","Topology","Abduction","BackwardChain","FirstPrinciples","HeuristicSnap","TreeOfThoughts","ProgramOfThought","ReAct"]
---

# ChainOfThought

Step-by-step reasoning (Macro for Think(Chain))

Layer: Mind · Category: Reasoning

## Mechanism

The canonical implementation of sequential reasoning. Instantiates the '[Think](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Think.md)' primitive with a linear '[Chain](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Chain.md)' [Topology](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Topology.md). Elicits a step-by-step derivation of the answer to improve accuracy and transparency. It implements the [Think](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Think.md) primitive as a linear [Chain](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Chain.md), optionally invoking [StepBack](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/StepBack.md) or [Reflexion](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Reflexion.md) to self-correct during the derivation.

## Invariants

- Reasoning before answer: intermediate steps precede the final conclusion.
- Steps form a single linear chain; the topology does not branch.

## Failure modes

—

## Signature

- `Think(Chain)`

## Builds on

- [Reflexion](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Reflexion.md) (Mind; Composes with)
- [StepBack](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/StepBack.md) (Mind; Composes with)
- [Chain](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Chain.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [Think](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Think.md) (Mind; References)
- [Topology](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Topology.md) (Infrastructure; References)

## Used by

- [Abduction](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Abduction.md) (Mind; Composes with)
- [BackwardChain](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/BackwardChain.md) (Mind; References)
- [FirstPrinciples](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/FirstPrinciples.md) (Mind; References)
- [HeuristicSnap](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/HeuristicSnap.md) (Mind; References)
- [TreeOfThoughts](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/TreeOfThoughts.md) (Mind; References)

## Identity

- Sema ID: `sema:ChainOfThought#mh:SHA-256:27ad1f2386f58e1f9e1983c97f6dbeb8f1345e1d9b9e00af30871b97d21e0c95`
- Ref: `ChainOfThought#27ad`
- Supersedes:
  - `sema:ChainOfThought#mh:SHA-256:620185e6502cb8b2ac69fcdd94243e5ccfa2f54d3d34524dcf26a1c81662294c`
  - `sema:ChainOfThought#mh:SHA-256:c425d5121316279e8b39aa00c72c90413811d17b31b6af23706292a0867e8f06`
  - `sema:ChainOfThought#mh:SHA-256:5fb21bf5ca8f6193bcc920b7e045bc816fe7f56ea2ed66fe7e26460094dcfac2`

## Links

- [Pattern page](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/ChainOfThought/)
- [View in the interactive graph](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/#ChainOfThought)
- [JSON](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/ChainOfThought.json)
- [Index of all patterns](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/index.json)