arXiv:2605.28566cs.AIcs.LG2026-05

将思维树框架纳入经典搜索理论,统一了大模型推理的分析范式。

Tree of Thoughts as a Classical Heuristic Search Problem: Formal Foundations and Design Patterns

  • 用经典搜索术语重述思维树的三要素:状态、动作、评估
  • 发现浅层任务适合最佳优先搜索,深层推理宜用蒙特卡洛树搜索
  • 为大模型推理提供可复用的设计模式,适合算法与NLP交叉研究者

大型语言模型虽具强大推理能力,但其自回归生成过程具有短视性且易产生连锁错误。为解决此问题,思维树(ToT)框架通过构建中间推理步骤的搜索空间,使搜索模型能前瞻规划并回溯调整。然而现有研究分散于自然语言处理与自动规划领域,术语不一且实现随意。本文基于经典启发式搜索理论,提出统一分类体系:将大模型推理映射为状态表示(思维粒度)、后继生成(提示操作符)与启发式评估(进展自评)。在该框架下分析已有工作,识别出两类设计模式:浅层确定性任务适用系统性搜索(最佳优先搜索),深层多步推理则依赖前瞻性强的策略(深度优先搜索、蒙特卡洛树搜索)。最后指出启发式搜索与大模型推理交汇处的开放性算法挑战,并呼吁启发式搜索领域参与这一新兴方向。

原文摘要 · Abstract (English)

Large Language Models (LLMs) have demonstrated remarkable reasoning capabilities, yet their standard generation process -- auto-regressive token prediction -- is inherently myopic and prone to cascading errors. To address this, the Tree-of-Thoughts (ToT) framework creates a search space over intermediate reasoning steps, allowing search models to explore, look ahead, and backtrack. However, current ToT research remains fragmented across Natural Language Processing and Automated Planning communities, often using inconsistent terminology and ad-hoc implementations. Consequently, we synthesize the ToT landscape through a unified taxonomy based on classical heuristic search terminology. We map LLM-based reasoning to classical search components: state representation (granularity of thoughts), successor generation (prompting operators), and heuristic evaluation (self-assessment of progress). We analyze existing work within the context of our taxonomy and identify emerging design patterns: systematic search (Best-First Search) for shallow, deterministic tasks and lookahead-heavy strategies (DFS, MCTS) for deep multi-step reasoning. We conclude by identifying open algorithmic challenges at the intersection of heuristic search and LLM reasoning, and call on the heuristic search community to engage with this emerging domain.

大模型推理启发式搜索思维树AI规划

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