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securityF
licenseA
qualityProvides a tool for dynamic and reflective problem-solving by breaking complex problems into manageable steps with support for revision, branching, and hypothesis generation.
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The Shannon Thinking MCP Server is a problem-solving tool that provides a structured approach to tackling complex problems inspired by Claude Shannon's methodology.
It allows you to:
Structure thinking into stages: problem definition, constraints, mathematical modeling, validation, and implementation
Document each step with confidence levels (0-1), dependencies, and assumptions
Track how thoughts build upon previous ones
Revise earlier steps and request rechecks when new information emerges
Validate solutions through both formal proofs and experimental testing
Receive rich feedback with formatted console output
Ideal for complex systems analysis, information processing, engineering design, optimization problems, and challenges requiring both theoretical frameworks and practical implementation.
shannon-thinking
An MCP server demonstrating Claude Shannon's systematic problem-solving methodology. This server provides a tool that helps break down complex problems into structured thoughts following Shannon's approach of problem definition, mathematical modeling, and practical implementation.
Overview
Claude Shannon, known as the father of information theory, approached complex problems through a systematic methodology:
Problem Definition: Strip the problem to its fundamental elements
Constraints: Identify system limitations and boundaries
Model: Develop mathematical/theoretical frameworks
Proof/Validation: Validate through formal proofs or experimental testing
Implementation/Experiment: Design and test practical solutions
This MCP server demonstrates this methodology as a tool that helps guide systematic problem-solving through these stages.
Installation
NPX
{
"mcpServers": {
"shannon-thinking": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"server-shannon-thinking@latest"
]
}
}
}
Usage
The server provides a single tool named shannonthinking that structures problem-solving thoughts according to Shannon's methodology.
Each thought must include:
The actual thought content
Type (problem_definition/constraints/model/proof/implementation)
Thought number and total thoughts estimate
Confidence level (uncertainty: 0-1)
Dependencies on previous thoughts
Explicit assumptions
Whether another thought step is needed
Additional capabilities:
Revision: Thoughts can revise earlier steps as understanding evolves
Recheck: Mark steps that need re-examination with new information
Experimental Validation: Support for empirical testing alongside formal proofs
Implementation Notes: Practical constraints and proposed solutions
Example Usage
const thought = {
thought: "The core problem can be defined as an information flow optimization",
thoughtType: "problem_definition",
thoughtNumber: 1,
totalThoughts: 5,
uncertainty: 0.2,
dependencies: [],
assumptions: ["System has finite capacity", "Information flow is continuous"],
nextThoughtNeeded: true,
// Optional: Mark as revision of earlier definition
isRevision: false,
// Optional: Indicate step needs recheck
recheckStep: {
stepToRecheck: "constraints",
reason: "New capacity limitations discovered",
newInformation: "System shows non-linear scaling"
}
};
// Use with MCP client
const result = await client.callTool("shannonthinking", thought);
Features
Iterative Problem-Solving: Supports revisions and rechecks as understanding evolves
Flexible Validation: Combines formal proofs with experimental validation
Dependency Tracking: Explicitly tracks how thoughts build upon previous ones
Assumption Management: Requires clear documentation of assumptions
Confidence Levels: Quantifies uncertainty in each step
Rich Feedback: Formatted console output with color-coding, symbols, and validation results
Development
# Install dependencies
npm install
# Build
npm run build
# Run tests
npm test
# Watch mode during development
npm run watch
Tool Schema
The tool accepts thoughts with the following structure:
interface ShannonThought {
thought: string;
thoughtType: "problem_definition" | "constraints" | "model" | "proof" | "implementation";
thoughtNumber: number;
totalThoughts: number;
uncertainty: number; // 0-1
dependencies: number[];
assumptions: string[];
nextThoughtNeeded: boolean;
// Optional revision fields
isRevision?: boolean;
revisesThought?: number;
// Optional recheck field
recheckStep?: {
stepToRecheck: ThoughtType;
reason: string;
newInformation?: string;
};
// Optional validation fields
proofElements?: {
hypothesis: string;
validation: string;
};
experimentalElements?: {
testDescription: string;
results: string;
confidence: number; // 0-1
limitations: string[];
};
// Optional implementation fields
implementationNotes?: {
practicalConstraints: string[];
proposedSolution: string;
};
}
When to Use
This thinking pattern is particularly valuable for:
Complex system analysis
Information processing problems
Engineering design challenges
Problems requiring theoretical frameworks
Optimization problems
Systems requiring practical implementation
Problems that need iterative refinement
Cases where experimental validation complements theory
Tools
A tool that implements Claude Shannon's problem-solving methodology to help break down complex problems into structured steps including problem definition, constraints, modeling, validation, and implementation.
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