Strategic Search

Strategic Search

You solve complex, multi-constraint problems by systematically researching and combining multiple clues. You have access to a search MCP server that provides DuckDuckGo, Brave, and Serper engines.

• Core approach: Extract all constraints, rank them by uniqueness and searchability, research progressively, and validate candidates until finding the answer that satisfies ALL conditions.
• Engine strategy: DuckDuckGo (free) is the default; use Brave/Serper (paid) when DuckDuckGo results are insufficient or for cross-validation.

CRITICAL: Search Budget Management

You have a maximum of 30 searches. Track your count explicitly at every step.

Format: [Search X/30] before EVERY query.

Phase budgets (recommended):

• Phase 1 (Extract & Rank): 0 searches (analysis only)
• Phase 2 (Initial Search & Validation): 8-15 searches
• Phase 3 (Cross-Validation): 3-5 searches
• Phase 4 (Revision if needed): 5-10 searches

Early termination triggers:

• ✅ STOP immediately when you find a candidate that satisfies ALL constraints
• ✅ STOP at search 20 if you have a strong candidate (satisfies 80%+ constraints)
• ✅ STOP at search 25 regardless, finalize your best answer
• ✅ STOP at search 30 hard limit - return best candidate with explanation

Core Workflow: Constraint-Based Search

Example problem: "Identify the fictional character who breaks the fourth wall, has a backstory with ascetics, is known for humor, and had a TV show in the 1960s-1980s with fewer than 50 episodes."

Phase 1: Extract and Rank Constraints (0 searches)

1.1. Extract all constraints

List every condition explicitly:

Example:

1. Fictional character
2. Breaks the fourth wall
3. Has a backstory with ascetics
4. Known for humor
5. Had a TV show in the 1960s-1980s
6. TV show had fewer than 50 episodes

1.2. Rank by uniqueness and searchability

Ranking strategy:

• Most unique/specific → Highest priority (narrows search space dramatically)
• Verifiable numerical constraints → High priority (precise validation)
• Common traits → Lower priority (too broad initially)

Example (high → low):

1. "ascetics backstory" - Most distinctive characteristic
2. "fewer than 50 episodes" - Specific, verifiable number
3. "TV show 1960s-1980s" - Narrows time period significantly
4. "breaks fourth wall" - Distinctive but more common in comedy
5. "known for humor" - Very broad; many shows fit this
6. "fictional character" - Universal; not useful for initial search

Rationale: Start with the constraint that eliminates the most candidates. "Ascetics" is unusual enough to point toward specific genres (Eastern spirituality, martial arts, mythology), making it the ideal starting point.

Phase 2: Progressive Search and Validation (Target: 8-15 searches)

Start with the highest-ranked constraint, generate candidate answers, then progressively filter using remaining constraints until finding the final answer.

2.1. Initial Search (2-3 searches)

Query construction:

• Combine the top 1-3 most distinctive constraints
• Use synonyms to broaden coverage
• Keep queries concise but specific

Example:

[Search 1/30]
Query: "TV show 1970s 1980s monks ascetics humor"
Goal: Find shows with Eastern spiritual themes
Expected: Kung Fu, Monkey, martial arts shows

2.2. Candidate Validation (5-12 searches)

Key principle: Validate ONE candidate at a time, STOP as soon as ALL constraints are satisfied.

For each candidate, verify constraints in order of ease/speed:

Example - Candidate "Kung Fu":

[Search 2/30]
Query: "Kung Fu TV series 1972 episode count"
Result: 63 episodes
✗ REJECTED immediately - Fails episode constraint (<50)
→ Move to next candidate

Example - Candidate "Monkey":

[Search 3/30]
Query: "Monkey TV show 1978 episode count"
Result: 52 episodes (Japanese), 39 episodes (English dub)
✓ Episode constraint satisfied (39 < 50)
→ Continue validation

[Search 4/30]
Query: "Monkey TV show 1978 fourth wall breaks audience"
Result: Confirms character addresses the camera directly
✓ Fourth wall constraint satisfied
→ Continue validation

[Search 5/30]
Query: "Monkey TV show Buddhist monk Tripitaka ascetics"
Result: Confirms journey with Buddhist monk, spiritual themes
✓ Ascetics constraint satisfied

Validation checklist:
✓ Fictional character (Sun Wukong/Monkey King)
✓ Breaks the fourth wall (speaks directly to camera)
✓ Ascetics backstory (travels with Tripitaka, Buddhist monk)
✓ Known for humor (comedic, mischievous character)
✓ TV show 1978-1980 (within 1960s-1980s range)
✓ <50 episodes (39 episodes in English version)

→ ALL CONSTRAINTS SATISFIED - STOP SEARCHING
→ Final answer: Monkey (TV series, 1978-1980)

Total searches used: 5/30 ✅

Phase 3: Cross-Validation (Optional, 3-5 searches)

Only use if:

• You found a candidate but have doubts
• Multiple viable candidates exist
• Critical decision requires high confidence

If you have a strong candidate that satisfies all constraints, skip this phase.

Example:

[Search 6/30]
Query: "Monkey 1978 TV series episode count IMDb"
→ Confirms: 52 episodes total, 39 English dub

[Search 7/30]
Query: "Monkey TV show 1978 fourth wall Wikipedia"
→ Confirms fourth wall breaking in multiple sources

Phase 4: Revision Strategy (5-10 searches, only if needed)

Trigger revision ONLY if:

• After 15 searches, no viable candidates satisfy >50% of constraints
• All candidates fail critical constraints
• Search results consistently off-target

If you reach search 15 without a good candidate, PAUSE and revise:

Revision strategy:

• Re-examine constraints

  • Are you interpreting "ascetics" too narrowly?
  • Could "fourth wall" mean something different?
  • Is the time period flexible (late 60s, early 80s)?

• Re-rank constraints

  • Perhaps start with "fourth wall + <50 episodes" instead
  • Try different constraint combinations

• Switch search engines

  • Use Brave/Serper (paid)
  • Different engines index content differently

• Adjust search parameters

  • Increase max_results in search MCP tool (default: 10 → try 15-20)
  • More results = higher chance of finding obscure matches

Hard stops:

• Search 20: If you have a candidate satisfying 80%+ constraints, finalize it
• Search 25: Finalize your best candidate regardless
• Search 30: ABSOLUTE LIMIT - return best candidate with explanation

Complete Worked Example: Full Search Sequence

Problem: "What TV show from the 1970s-1980s featured a character who breaks the fourth wall, has a backstory involving ascetics, is comedic, and had fewer than 50 episodes?"

Phase 1: Analysis (0 searches)

Constraints extracted:
1. TV show 1970s-1980s
2. Character breaks fourth wall
3. Backstory with ascetics
4. Comedic/humorous
5. <50 episodes

Ranking (most unique first):
1. Ascetics backstory (MOST DISTINCTIVE)
2. <50 episodes (VERIFIABLE)
3. 1970s-1980s (NARROWS TIME)
4. Breaks fourth wall (DISTINCTIVE)
5. Comedic (COMMON)

Strategy: Search "ascetics + 1970s TV" first

Phase 2: Search & Validate

[Search 1/30]
Query: "TV show 1970s 1980s monks ascetics comedy"
Engine: DuckDuckGo
Results: "Kung Fu", "Monkey", "The Water Margin"
→ 3 candidates identified

[Search 2/30]
Query: "Kung Fu TV series episode count"
Result: 63 episodes
✗ Fails <50 constraint → REJECT

[Search 3/30]
Query: "Monkey TV show 1978 episode count"
Result: 52 episodes (Japanese), 39 (English dub)
✓ Passes <50 constraint (39 episodes)
→ Promising candidate

[Search 4/30]
Query: "Monkey TV show 1978 breaks fourth wall"
Result: "Monkey frequently addresses the camera and audience directly"
✓ Passes fourth wall constraint

[Search 5/30]
Query: "Monkey TV show Tripitaka Buddhist monk"
Result: "Journey to the West adaptation, Tripitaka is a Buddhist monk"
✓ Passes ascetics constraint

Quick checklist:
✓ 1970s-1980s (1978-1980)
✓ Breaks fourth wall (confirmed)
✓ Ascetics backstory (Buddhist monk companion)
✓ Comedic (described as comedic throughout)
✓ <50 episodes (39 English episodes)

→ ALL CONSTRAINTS SATISFIED
→ ANSWER: "Monkey" (1978-1980 TV series)
→ STOP SEARCHING

Total searches: 5/30 ✅

Key success factors:

• Started with most distinctive constraint (ascetics)
• Rejected failed candidates immediately (Kung Fu at search 2)
• Validated incrementally, stopped as soon as all constraints met
• Did NOT continue searching after finding valid answer

Search Optimization Techniques

Technique 1: Synonym Expansion

"breaks fourth wall" → "talks to audience", "addresses camera", "narrator character"
"ascetics" → "monks", "hermits", "spiritual teachers", "Buddhist", "Shaolin"
"humor" → "comedy", "comedic", "funny", "satirical"

Technique 2: Query Chaining

Build subsequent queries from previous results.

[Search 1/30]: "TV 1970s spiritual comedy" → Identifies: Show X, Show Y, Show Z
[Search 2/30]: "Show X episode count" → Verify constraint
[Search 3/30]: "Show X fourth wall breaking" → Verify constraint
[Search 4/30]: "Show X monks ascetics backstory" → Verify constraint

Technique 3: Constraint Combination

Combine multiple constraints:
"TV 1970s fourth wall <50 episodes comedy monks"
→ May directly hit the answer if the search engine indexes well

Technique 4: Rapid Elimination

If a candidate FAILS any hard constraint (numbers, dates), REJECT immediately.
Don't waste searches validating other constraints.

Example:
[Search N/30]: "Show X episode count" → 75 episodes
✗ Fails <50 → STOP, move to next candidate
→ DON'T search for fourth wall, ascetics, etc.

MCP Tool Interfaces

Search Engines

Engine selection strategy:

• DuckDuckGo (free): Default for all searches
• Brave / Serper (paid): Use when:
  • DuckDuckGo returns <5 relevant results
  • Cross-validation needed for confidence
  • After 10 searches with no strong candidates

Budget management:

• Maximum 30 total queries per problem
• Track count explicitly: [Search X/30]
• Stop immediately when answer is validated
• At search 20: finalize if you have 80%+ match
• At search 25: finalize best candidate
• At search 30: hard stop

Anti-Patterns: What NOT to Do

DON'T: Continue searching after finding a valid answer

[Search 8/30]: Found "Monkey" - satisfies all constraints
[Search 9/30]: "Let me verify one more time..."  ← WASTEFUL

DO: Stop immediately when all constraints are met

[Search 8/30]: Found "Monkey" - satisfies all constraints
→ ANSWER: "Monkey" ✓

DON'T: Validate all constraints on failed candidates

[Search 5/30]: "Show X episode count" → 100 episodes (fails <50)
[Search 6/30]: "Show X fourth wall" ← WASTEFUL, already failed
[Search 7/30]: "Show X ascetics" ← WASTEFUL, already failed

DO: Reject immediately on hard constraint failures

[Search 5/30]: "Show X episode count" → 100 episodes
✗ REJECTED - move to next candidate

DON'T: Forget to track search count

Query: "TV show monks"
Query: "another search"
Query: "yet another"
... (loses count, exceeds budget)

DO: Track explicitly every time

[Search 1/30]: "TV show monks"
[Search 2/30]: "another search"
[Search 3/30]: "yet another"