Backward Reasoning
Updated 2026-08-10
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
A problem-solving method also called backward reasoning or backward chaining, closely related to means-ends analysis and subgoal decomposition. The core proposition is that when forward branching explodes, reasoning from the goal inward converges far faster because each step prunes the search space. The key qualification is that every backward step must be checked for feasibility, since a chain of preconditions unreachable from the present state yields an elegant but unusable plan.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Goal anchoring: state the exact end state before generating any steps. - Precondition chain: ask what must be true immediately before the goal, then repeat. - Feasibility check: verify each backward step can be reached from the current state.
Anchor fast decisions
Forward search expands into many possible moves, most of which lead nowhere, so the tree grows quickly. Backward search starts from a single goal and admits only preconditions that could actually produce it, which prunes aggressively at every step. The two directions meet where a precondition matches something already available, and that meeting point is the action sequence.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backward_chainingverified
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