UnitMath: Unit-Aware Numerical Reasoning and Dimensional Consistency for Scientific Table Claims

Xanh Ho, Tian Cheng Xia, Khoa Duong, Yun-Ang Wu, Ha-Thanh Nguyen, Akiko Aizawa

Keywords: claim verification, table-based claim, numerical reasoning

TL;DR: Unit-Aware Numerical Reasoning

Abstract: Recent progress in table-based fact verification has improved semantic understanding of schema and cell content, but models still stumble on quantitative claims that hinge on units and dimensional constraints. Errors arise when systems conflate percent with percentage points, treat fold changes as plain ratios, or compare quantities across incompatible dimensions, leading to brittle and untrustworthy decisions. We introduce UnitMath, a unit-aware numerical reasoning framework specifically designed for scientific table-claim verification. Our approach combines: (i) enhanced numerical extraction with comprehensive pattern matching for percentages, decimals, and fractions, (ii) robust unit-aware verification with automatic percentage-decimal conversion and tolerance-based matching, and (iii) structured reasoning traces that capture complete decision pathways for interpretability. UnitMath achieves 54.1\% macro F1 on SciTab, demonstrating competitive performance through principled design rather than parameter scaling. Key advantages include: \textbf{explainable reasoning} with full traceability of numerical comparisons, textbf{lightweight architecture} requiring no neural training, textbf{modular design} enabling drop-in integration with existing table encoders, and \textbf{systematic error prevention} for unit-related failures that plague larger models. The framework provides comprehensive stress testing for unit rescaling invariance and percentage-type sensitivity, validating true unit understanding rather than surface pattern matching. This work establishes unit-aware reasoning as a valuable complement to scaling-based approaches in scientific domains where numerical precision and interpretability are paramount.

Submission Number: 122