Neural Algorithmic Reasoning

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Overview

Neural algorithmic reasoning asks how neural networks can learn the steps of algorithms and apply them to inputs or problem sizes not seen in training. Common approaches train on algorithm traces, align graph neural networks with message-passing algorithms, or use recurrent and looped models that perform more computation at test time; some methods encode symbolic rules or explicit memory directly. Researchers evaluate these systems on tasks such as CLRS graph algorithms, Sudoku, mazes, arithmetic, and graph optimization, often testing generalization to longer sequences, larger graphs, or deeper reasoning. A central challenge is ensuring that models truly execute and retain useful intermediate computations rather than relying on shortcuts, since accurate answers or decodable representations alone do not guarantee robust reasoning at greater depth.

Latest papers

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45 papers14 papers in the last four weeks, up 367% on the four weeks before. 0.1% of all new papers.

  1. Loom: A Scalable Analytical Neural Computer Architecture

    Apr 9, 2026Mehmet Kerem TurkcanNeural Algorithmic ReasoningRecurrent Transformers

    Columbia University

  2. Metriplector: From Field Theory to Neural Architecture

    Mar 31, 2026Dan Oprisa, Peter TothNeural Algorithmic ReasoningLanguage Modeling

    Spheroid Labs∗

  3. The Long Delay to Arithmetic Generalization: When Learned Representations Outrun Behavior

    Mar 30, 2026Laura Gomezjurado GonzalezGrokkingNeural Algorithmic Reasoning

    Stanford University

  4. Dynamical Systems Theory Behind a Hierarchical Reasoning Model

    Mar 24, 2026Vasiliy A. Es'kin, Mikhail E. SmorkalovSudoku SolvingNeural Algorithmic Reasoning

    Department of Radiophysics, University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod 603950, Russia · Huawei Nizhny Novgorod Research Center, Nizhny Novgorod 603006, Russia · Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow 121205, Russia

  5. Recursive Inference Machines for Neural Reasoning

    Mar 5, 2026Mieszko Komisarczyk, Saurabh Mathur, Maurice Kraus +2Abstract ReasoningNeural Algorithmic Reasoning

    Department of Computer Science, Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany · Department of Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas, USA · Hessian Center for Artificial Intelligence (hessian.ai), Darmstadt, Germany +1

  6. Modular Neural Computer

    Mar 4, 2026Florin LeonNeural Algorithmic ReasoningMemory-Augmented Neural Networks

    Department of Computers Faculty of Automatic Control and Computer Engineering “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iași, Romania

  7. Continuous Modal Logical Neural Networks: Modal Reasoning via Stochastic Accessibility

    Mar 4, 2026Antonin SulcLogical ReasoningNeuro-Symbolic Reasoning

    Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA

  8. Form Follows Function: Recursive Stem Model

    Mar 3, 2026Navid HakimiRecursive Reasoning ModelsNeural Algorithmic Reasoning

  9. Symbol-Equivariant Recurrent Reasoning Models

    Mar 2, 2026Richard Freinschlag, Timo Bertram, Erich Kobler +2Permutation-Equivariant Neural NetworksSudoku Solving

    ELLIS Unit Linz, LIT AI Lab & Institute for Machine Learning, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria · Clinical Research Institute for Medical AI, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria

  10. MINAR: Mechanistic Interpretability for Neural Algorithmic Reasoning

    Feb 24, 2026Jesse He, Helen Jenne, Max Vargas +4Neural Algorithmic ReasoningMechanistic Interpretability

    Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA · Halıcı˘oğlu Data Science Institute, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA · Department of Computer and Information Science, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvaina, PA +1

  11. Parallelizable Neural Turing Machines

    Feb 18, 2026Gabriel Faria, Arnaldo Candido JuniorNeural Algorithmic ReasoningRecurrent Neural Networks

    University of São Paulo∗ · ∗Instituto de Ciências Matemáticas e de Computação (ICMC), University of São Paulo. · São Paulo State University

  12. Efficiently Learning Branching Networks for Multitask Algorithmic Reasoning

    Nov 30, 2025Dongyue Li, Zhenshuo Zhang, Minxuan Duan +2Neural Algorithmic ReasoningMulti-Task Learning

    †Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts · ‡University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

  13. Tackling GNARLy Problems: Graph Neural Algorithmic Reasoning Reimagined through Reinforcement Learning

    Sep 23, 2025Alex Schutz, Victor-Alexandru Darvariu, Efimia Panagiotaki +2Graph Neural NetworksReinforcement Learning

    Oxford Robotics Institute, University of Oxford · Stateful Robotics

  14. Scaling Online Complex Event Detection with Synthetic Supervision and Mamba-Based Neural Algorithmic Reasoning

    Feb 11, 2025Liying Han, Gaofeng Dong, Xiaomin Ouyang +4Neural Algorithmic ReasoningAlgorithmic Reasoning

    Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering University of California, Los Angeles · Department of Computer Science and Engineering Hong Kong University of Science and Technology · U.S. Army DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory +1

  15. Inferring Inference

    Oct 4, 2023Rajkumar Vasudeva Raju, Zhe Li, Scott Linderman +1Neural Algorithmic ReasoningSystem Identification

    Department of ECE, Rice University · Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine · Department of Statistics, Stanford University +3