Planning is how agents break down complex tasks.
- Plan-and-Execute:
- Create a full plan upfront, then execute each step. Like writing out all your moves before playing them. Works well for structured problems.
- Reactive Planning:
- No advance planning. Just respond to each situation as it comes. Fast but can miss the bigger picture.
- Iterative Planning:
- Plan a few steps, execute, reassess, plan more. This is what most modern agents do. It balances speed with adaptability.
- Reflection:
- After acting, the agent evaluates what happened. Did it work? What could be better? This improves performance over time.
The best planning strategy depends on the problem. Known environment with clear steps? Plan-and-execute. Unknown territory with surprises? Iterative with reflection.
Agents work best when they can both plan ahead and adjust on the fly.