Integrated and Cross-Architecture Interpretation of LLM Reasoning

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2605.28006v1
• Date: Wed, 27 May 2026 05:56:35 GMT
• Title: Integrated and Cross-Architecture Interpretation of LLM Reasoning
• Abstract summary: Integrated, cross-Architecture Reasoning (IAR) framework designed to provide a unified approach to LLM reasoning interpretability.<n>We first propose to use bandwidth-calibrated MIP coupled with Tukey IQR peak-detection to isolate reasoning-crucial tokens at the output layer.<n>We then perform an overlap analysis between MIP-picked tokens and computation-deep tokens to trace the cross-layer trajectories of those tokens.
• Score: 48.58940522466915
• License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Abstract: Understanding how LLMs reason is hindered by a practical asymmetry: while their generated outputs are observable, the underlying reasoning patterns remain opaque. Relying on single probes, such as Mutual Information Peak (MIP) or Deep-Thinking Ratio (DTR), risks underestimating the genuine inferential structure. To response this deficiency, we present an Integrated, cross-Architecture Reasoning (IAR) framework, designed to provide a unified approach to LLM reasoning interpretability. Specifically, we first propose to use bandwidth-calibrated MIP coupled with Tukey IQR peak-detection to isolate reasoning-crucial tokens at the output layer. Second, we performed an overlap analysis between MIP-picked tokens and DTR-deep tokens to trace the cross-layer trajectories of those tokens. This also discloses whether reasoning-crucial tokens are computation-intensive as well, further facilitating to understand how reasoning patterns evolve across model layers. Finally, we apply a Jaccard stability metric over multi-domain problems to verify if the MIP-identified tokens are reasoning quality-guaranteed. Extensive experiments on three models (Qwen-7B, Qwen-14B, and Llama-8B) across four domains (mathematics, code, logic, and common sense) demonstrate IAR's generalizable interpretation capabilities across architectures.

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