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Updated Mar 16, 2026

First Principles vs. AI

Layers Used: Layer 1 (Predict Before You Prompt), Layer 5 (Divergence Test)

What You Do​

You receive a problem with no established solution. No AI, no internet. 45 minutes. Identify the base constraints, list your assumptions, and derive a solution from those constraints alone. After submitting, prompt AI with the same problem and compare.

Choose Your Scenario​

Scenario A (Education): "Design a fair system for distributing limited AI tutoring access across a school district of 200,000 students with wildly unequal resources."

Choose one.

Your Deliverable

A First Principles Worksheet containing: (1) the base constraints you identified (e.g., limited supply, unequal need, multiple definitions of fairness), (2) every assumption you made -- explicitly listed, (3) your derived solution with a clear logical chain from constraints to design, (4) a comparison document showing your solution alongside AI's solution, with annotations on where they converge and diverge.

1Your Work

I solved a novel problem using first principles reasoning without any AI or internet assistance. The problem: "Design a fair system for distributing limited AI tutoring access across a school district of 200,000 students with wildly unequal resources."

Below is my First Principles Worksheet. Please: (1) Evaluate my constraint identification -- did I find the real base constraints or did I miss critical ones? (2) Review my assumption list -- which assumptions are reasonable and which are questionable? What hidden assumptions did I not list? (3) Does my solution logically follow from my stated constraints, or are there gaps in the derivation? (4) Rate my solution's originality -- is this something you would generate if prompted directly, or does it show genuine independent reasoning? (5) What is the single biggest flaw in my solution that I need to address? (6) Now solve the same problem yourself. I will compare our approaches.

My worksheet:

Finally, complete the Thinking Score Card for this exercise: Independent Thinking (1-10), Critical Evaluation (1-10), Reasoning Depth (1-10), Originality (1-10), Self-Awareness (1-10). For each score, give a one-sentence justification.

2Get Your Score

Discuss with an AI. Question your scores.
Come back when you have your BEST evaluation.

Deliverable Template (click to expand)

FIRST PRINCIPLES WORKSHEET

  • Problem: [paste]
  • BASE CONSTRAINTS:
    1. ___ (things that are true regardless of approach)
    2. ___
    3. ___
  • MY ASSUMPTIONS (explicit):
    1. ___
    2. ___
    3. ___
  • DERIVATION CHAIN: From constraint [#] + assumption [#], it follows that: ___
  • Therefore, the solution must: ___
  • MY SOLUTION: ___
  • WHY this follows from the constraints (not from analogy or pattern): ___
  • WHAT I DO NOT KNOW: ___

What This Teaches You​

You learn what it feels like to reason from nothing — no patterns to borrow, no AI to lean on. Comparing your solution to AI's reveals whether you produced genuine first-principles thinking or unconsciously borrowed familiar patterns. The constraint identification skill becomes foundational for every design and architecture decision in the rest of the book.

Flashcards Study Aid​

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