The Geometry of Reasoning: Flowing Logics in Representation Space

Yufa Zhou, Yixiao Wang, Xunjian Yin, Shuyan Zhou, Anru Zhang

Keywords: Reasoning, Theory, Interpretability, Representation Learning, Geometry, Formal Logic, LLMs

Abstract:

We study how large language models (LLMs) ``think'' through their representation space.
We propose a novel geometric framework that models an LLM's reasoning as flows---embedding trajectories evolving where logic goes.
We disentangle logical structure from semantics by employing the same natural deduction propositions with varied semantic carriers, allowing us to test whether LLMs internalize logic beyond surface form.
This perspective connects reasoning with geometric quantities such as position, velocity, and curvature, enabling formal analysis in representation and concept spaces.
Our theory establishes: (1) LLM reasoning corresponds to smooth flows in representation space, and (2) logical statements act as local controllers of these flows' velocities.
Using learned representation proxies, we design controlled experiments to visualize and quantify reasoning flows, providing empirical validation of our theoretical framework.
Our findings indicate that training solely via next-token prediction can lead LLMs to internalize logical invariants as higher-order geometry in representation space, challenging the “stochastic parrot” argument.
Experiments across Qwen and LLaMA model families further suggest the presence of a general, possibly universal, representational law underlying machine understanding and human linguistic regularities, largely independent of specific training recipes or model architectures.
Our work serves as both a conceptual foundation and practical tools for studying reasoning phenomena, offering a new lens for interpretability and formal analysis of LLMs' behavior.

Primary Area: interpretability and explainable AI

Submission Number: 15480