Building on agent architectures and memory systems, this chapter addresses how agents execute complex procedures over multiple steps. Practical applications frequently demand that agents break down high-level objectives into manageable sub-tasks and interact with external resources.

We will concentrate on the mechanisms enabling this sophisticated behavior. You will learn about:

• Task Decomposition: Methods for segmenting complex goals into smaller, actionable steps.
• Planning Strategies: Techniques like hierarchical planning for organizing sequences of actions.
• Tool Integration: Defining, selecting, and reliably executing external tools or APIs.
• Error Handling: Implementing robust strategies for managing failures during tool use.
• Plan Adaptation: Enabling agents to self-correct and refine plans based on execution results.

The objective is to enable agents to formulate and reliably carry out multi-step plans that involve external interactions. We will cover practical implementation details for building agents capable of structured planning and effective tool utilization.