Sequential Thinking

Sequential Thinking

By modelcontextprotocol GitHub

An MCP server implementation that provides a tool for dynamic and reflective problem-solving through a structured thinking process.

sequentialthinking problem-solving
Overview

What is Sequential Thinking?

Sequential Thinking is an MCP server implementation that provides a tool for dynamic and reflective problem-solving through a structured thinking process.

How to use Sequential Thinking?

To use Sequential Thinking, integrate it with your project by configuring it in your claude_desktop_config.json or using Docker to run the server. You can input your current thought process and manage it step-by-step.

Key features of Sequential Thinking?

  • Break down complex problems into manageable steps
  • Revise and refine thoughts as understanding deepens
  • Branch into alternative paths of reasoning
  • Adjust the total number of thoughts dynamically
  • Generate and verify solution hypotheses

Use cases of Sequential Thinking?

  1. Breaking down complex problems into steps for better clarity
  2. Planning and design processes that require iterative revisions
  3. Analyzing problems where the full scope is initially unclear
  4. Tasks that need to maintain context over multiple steps
  5. Filtering out irrelevant information during problem-solving

FAQ from Sequential Thinking?

  • Can Sequential Thinking handle all types of problems?

Yes! It is designed to assist with a wide range of complex problem-solving scenarios.

  • Is Sequential Thinking free to use?

Yes! It is open-source and licensed under the MIT License, allowing free use and modification.

  • How does Sequential Thinking manage revisions?

It allows users to revise previous thoughts and adjust their reasoning dynamically.

Content

Sequential Thinking MCP Server

An MCP server implementation that provides a tool for dynamic and reflective problem-solving through a structured thinking process.

Features

  • Break down complex problems into manageable steps
  • Revise and refine thoughts as understanding deepens
  • Branch into alternative paths of reasoning
  • Adjust the total number of thoughts dynamically
  • Generate and verify solution hypotheses

Tool

sequential_thinking

Facilitates a detailed, step-by-step thinking process for problem-solving and analysis.

Inputs:

  • thought (string): The current thinking step
  • nextThoughtNeeded (boolean): Whether another thought step is needed
  • thoughtNumber (integer): Current thought number
  • totalThoughts (integer): Estimated total thoughts needed
  • isRevision (boolean, optional): Whether this revises previous thinking
  • revisesThought (integer, optional): Which thought is being reconsidered
  • branchFromThought (integer, optional): Branching point thought number
  • branchId (string, optional): Branch identifier
  • needsMoreThoughts (boolean, optional): If more thoughts are needed

Usage

The Sequential Thinking tool is designed for:

  • Breaking down complex problems into steps
  • Planning and design with room for revision
  • Analysis that might need course correction
  • Problems where the full scope might not be clear initially
  • Tasks that need to maintain context over multiple steps
  • Situations where irrelevant information needs to be filtered out

Configuration

Usage with Claude Desktop

Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json:

npx

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sequential-thinking": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-sequential-thinking"
      ]
    }
  }
}

docker

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sequentialthinking": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "mcp/sequentialthinking"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Building

Docker:

docker build -t mcp/sequentialthinking -f src/sequentialthinking/Dockerfile .

License

This MCP server is licensed under the MIT License. This means you are free to use, modify, and distribute the software, subject to the terms and conditions of the MIT License. For more details, please see the LICENSE file in the project repository.

Tools

sequentialthinking

A detailed tool for dynamic and reflective problem-solving through thoughts. This tool helps analyze problems through a flexible thinking process that can adapt and evolve. Each thought can build on, question, or revise previous insights as understanding deepens. When to use this tool: - Breaking down complex problems into steps - Planning and design with room for revision - Analysis that might need course correction - Problems where the full scope might not be clear initially - Problems that require a multi-step solution - Tasks that need to maintain context over multiple steps - Situations where irrelevant information needs to be filtered out Key features: - You can adjust total_thoughts up or down as you progress - You can question or revise previous thoughts - You can add more thoughts even after reaching what seemed like the end - You can express uncertainty and explore alternative approaches - Not every thought needs to build linearly - you can branch or backtrack - Generates a solution hypothesis - Verifies the hypothesis based on the Chain of Thought steps - Repeats the process until satisfied - Provides a correct answer Parameters explained: - thought: Your current thinking step, which can include: * Regular analytical steps * Revisions of previous thoughts * Questions about previous decisions * Realizations about needing more analysis * Changes in approach * Hypothesis generation * Hypothesis verification - next_thought_needed: True if you need more thinking, even if at what seemed like the end - thought_number: Current number in sequence (can go beyond initial total if needed) - total_thoughts: Current estimate of thoughts needed (can be adjusted up/down) - is_revision: A boolean indicating if this thought revises previous thinking - revises_thought: If is_revision is true, which thought number is being reconsidered - branch_from_thought: If branching, which thought number is the branching point - branch_id: Identifier for the current branch (if any) - needs_more_thoughts: If reaching end but realizing more thoughts needed You should: 1. Start with an initial estimate of needed thoughts, but be ready to adjust 2. Feel free to question or revise previous thoughts 3. Don't hesitate to add more thoughts if needed, even at the "end" 4. Express uncertainty when present 5. Mark thoughts that revise previous thinking or branch into new paths 6. Ignore information that is irrelevant to the current step 7. Generate a solution hypothesis when appropriate 8. Verify the hypothesis based on the Chain of Thought steps 9. Repeat the process until satisfied with the solution 10. Provide a single, ideally correct answer as the final output 11. Only set next_thought_needed to false when truly done and a satisfactory answer is reached
Try in Playground
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