[zoul]

This is not about finding the most effective solution, it’s about showing that they “understand” the problem. Could they write the algorithm if it were not in their training set?

[qarl]

That's an interesting question. It's not the one they are trying to answer, however.

From my personal experience: yes, if you describe a problem without mentioning the name of the algorithm, an LLM will detect and apply the algorithm appropriately.

They behave exactly how a smart human would behave. In all cases.

[boredhedgehog]

If that's the point, shouldn't they ask the model to explain the principle for any number of discs? What's the benefit of a concrete application?

[johnecheck]

Because that would prove absolutely nothing. There are numerous examples of tower of Hanoi explanations in the training set.