{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7124465429","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2601.10402","title":"Toward Ultra-Long-Horizon Agentic Science: Cognitive Accumulation for Machine Learning Engineering","display_name":"Toward Ultra-Long-Horizon Agentic Science: Cognitive Accumulation for Machine Learning Engineering","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-01-15","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7124465429","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2601.10402"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"pmh:oai:arXiv.org:2601.10402","doi":null,"is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"http://arxiv.org/abs/2601.10402","pdf_url":"https://arxiv.org/pdf/2601.10402","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"text"},"volume":null,"type":"preprint","is_traditional":true,"indexed_in":["arxiv","datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"https://arxiv.org/pdf/2601.10402","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5123184220","display_name":"Xinyu Zhu","orcid":null,"observed_orcids":[]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I183067930","display_name":"Shanghai Jiao Tong University","ror":"https://ror.org/0220qvk04","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I183067930"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zhu, Xinyu","raw_affiliation_strings":["School of Artificial Intelligence , Shanghai Jiao Tong University"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of Artificial Intelligence , Shanghai Jiao Tong University","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I183067930"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5125578227","display_name":"Yuzhu Cai","orcid":null,"observed_orcids":[]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I183067930","display_name":"Shanghai Jiao Tong University","ror":"https://ror.org/0220qvk04","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I183067930"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I82880672","display_name":"Beihang University","ror":"https://ror.org/00wk2mp56","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I82880672"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Cai, Yuzhu","raw_affiliation_strings":["School of Artificial Intelligence , Shanghai Jiao Tong University","School of Computer Science and Engineering , Beihang University Low (Lite) Medium"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of Artificial Intelligence , Shanghai Jiao Tong University","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I183067930"]},{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of Computer Science and Engineering , Beihang University Low (Lite) Medium","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I82880672"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5084322404","display_name":"Zexi Liu","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8221-4829","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8221-4829"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I183067930","display_name":"Shanghai Jiao Tong University","ror":"https://ror.org/0220qvk04","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I183067930"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Liu, Zexi","raw_affiliation_strings":["School of Artificial Intelligence , Shanghai Jiao Tong University"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of Artificial Intelligence , Shanghai Jiao Tong University","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I183067930"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5123197788","display_name":"Bingyang Zheng","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4506-5341","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4506-5341"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I183067930","display_name":"Shanghai Jiao Tong University","ror":"https://ror.org/0220qvk04","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I183067930"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zheng, Bingyang","raw_affiliation_strings":["School of Artificial Intelligence , Shanghai Jiao Tong University"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of Artificial Intelligence , Shanghai Jiao Tong University","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I183067930"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5123243710","display_name":"Cheng Wang","orcid":null,"observed_orcids":[]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I183067930","display_name":"Shanghai Jiao Tong University","ror":"https://ror.org/0220qvk04","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I183067930"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Wang, Cheng","raw_affiliation_strings":["School of Artificial Intelligence , Shanghai Jiao Tong University"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of Artificial Intelligence , Shanghai Jiao Tong University","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I183067930"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5100728756","display_name":"Rui Ye","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6992-8737","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6992-8737"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I183067930","display_name":"Shanghai Jiao Tong University","ror":"https://ror.org/0220qvk04","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I183067930"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Ye, Rui","raw_affiliation_strings":["School of Artificial Intelligence , Shanghai Jiao Tong University"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of Artificial Intelligence , Shanghai Jiao Tong University","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I183067930"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5134011242","display_name":"Yuzhi Zhang","orcid":null,"observed_orcids":[]},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zhang, Yuzhi","raw_affiliation_strings":["DP Technology"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"DP Technology","institution_ids":[]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5124053961","display_name":"Linfeng Zhang","orcid":null,"observed_orcids":[]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I183067930","display_name":"Shanghai Jiao Tong University","ror":"https://ror.org/0220qvk04","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I183067930"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zhang, Linfeng","raw_affiliation_strings":["DP Technology","School of Artificial Intelligence , Shanghai Jiao Tong University"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"DP Technology","institution_ids":[]},{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of Artificial Intelligence , Shanghai Jiao Tong University","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I183067930"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5112570365","display_name":"Weinan E","orcid":null,"observed_orcids":[]},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"E, Weinan","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5076032066","display_name":"Siheng Chen","orcid":null,"observed_orcids":[]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I183067930","display_name":"Shanghai Jiao Tong University","ror":"https://ror.org/0220qvk04","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I183067930"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Chen, Siheng","raw_affiliation_strings":["School of Artificial Intelligence , Shanghai Jiao Tong University"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of Artificial Intelligence , Shanghai Jiao Tong University","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I183067930"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5137647620","display_name":"Yanfeng Wang","orcid":null,"observed_orcids":[]},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Wang, Yanfeng","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":2,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":null,"has_fulltext":true,"cited_by_count":31,"citation_normalized_percentile":null,"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13904","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence Applications","score":0.4968000054359436,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13904","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence Applications","score":0.4968000054359436,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10906","display_name":"AI-based Problem Solving and Planning","score":0.4099000096321106,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11986","display_name":"Scientific Computing and Data Management","score":0.017500000074505806,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1802","display_name":"Information Systems and Management"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/18","display_name":"Decision Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/machine-learning-engineering","display_name":"machine learning engineering","score":0.9089999794960022},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/large-language-models","display_name":"large language models","score":0.7689999938011169},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/long-term-memory","display_name":"long-term memory","score":0.4659999907016754},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/context-window-limitations","display_name":"context window limitations","score":0.4009999930858612},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/scientific-discovery","display_name":"scientific discovery","score":0.4090000092983246}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.6991999745368958},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C187029079","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q958679","display_name":"Cognitive reframing","level":2,"score":0.6686999797821045},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.6194999814033508},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779343474","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3109175","display_name":"Context (archaeology)","level":2,"score":0.5733000040054321},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C20854674","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4386060","display_name":"Cognitive architecture","level":3,"score":0.5508999824523926},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C98045186","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q205663","display_name":"Process (computing)","level":2,"score":0.5199999809265137},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C48044578","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q727490","display_name":"Scalability","level":2,"score":0.4975999891757965},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C155911762","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q422321","display_name":"Blueprint","level":2,"score":0.48980000615119934},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C192327766","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1038799","display_name":"Cognitive robotics","level":3,"score":0.4343000054359436},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C169900460","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2200417","display_name":"Cognition","level":2,"score":0.42170000076293945},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C119857082","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2539","display_name":"Machine learning","level":1,"score":0.3874000012874603},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C65414064","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q484105","display_name":"Autonomy","level":2,"score":0.3732999861240387},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C39890363","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q36108","display_name":"Generative grammar","level":2,"score":0.3610000014305115},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C92298750","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17008161","display_name":"Cognitive computing","level":3,"score":0.34630000591278076},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2781181686","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4226068","display_name":"Coherence (philosophical gambling strategy)","level":2,"score":0.3434000015258789},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C188147891","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q147638","display_name":"Cognitive science","level":1,"score":0.3433000147342682},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C107457646","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q207434","display_name":"Human\u2013computer interaction","level":1,"score":0.336899995803833},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C77967617","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4677561","display_name":"Active learning (machine learning)","level":2,"score":0.33489999175071716},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780554381","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2063340","display_name":"Sensemaking","level":2,"score":0.33329999446868896},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C97541855","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q830687","display_name":"Reinforcement learning","level":2,"score":0.32760000228881836},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2775924081","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55608371","display_name":"Control (management)","level":2,"score":0.31040000915527344},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C5041995","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q853745","display_name":"Engineering education","level":2,"score":0.2953999936580658},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C34413123","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q170978","display_name":"Robotics","level":3,"score":0.2944999933242798},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C115286129","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123637","display_name":"Cybernetics","level":2,"score":0.2904999852180481},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C167966045","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5532625","display_name":"Generative model","level":3,"score":0.28929999470710754},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778827112","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q22245680","display_name":"Feature engineering","level":3,"score":0.271699994802475},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C123657996","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12271","display_name":"Architecture","level":2,"score":0.2671000063419342},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C187179951","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7784616","display_name":"Thinking processes","level":3,"score":0.2612000107765198},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C9870796","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q490481","display_name":"Turing","level":2,"score":0.25519999861717224},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C34972735","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2920267","display_name":"Engineering design process","level":2,"score":0.2540999948978424},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C56739046","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q192060","display_name":"Knowledge management","level":1,"score":0.2531000077724457},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C96427005","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q98442705","display_name":"Learning sciences","level":3,"score":0.25279998779296875},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776214188","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q408386","display_name":"Inference","level":2,"score":0.25189998745918274}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":2,"locations":[{"id":"pmh:oai:arXiv.org:2601.10402","doi":null,"is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"http://arxiv.org/abs/2601.10402","pdf_url":"https://arxiv.org/pdf/2601.10402","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"text"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2601.10402","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2601.10402","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2601.10402","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"pmh:oai:arXiv.org:2601.10402","doi":null,"is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"http://arxiv.org/abs/2601.10402","pdf_url":"https://arxiv.org/pdf/2601.10402","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"text"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"study_designs":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"pdf":true,"grobid_xml":true},"content_urls":{"pdf":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W7124465429.pdf","grobid_xml":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W7124465429.grobid-xml"},"referenced_works_count":10,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W4387636003","https://openalex.org/W4403345800","https://openalex.org/W4415108068","https://openalex.org/W4415337833","https://openalex.org/W4416036182","https://openalex.org/W4416043407","https://openalex.org/W4416778187","https://openalex.org/W4417006854","https://openalex.org/W4417088765","https://openalex.org/W4417538505"],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W7171645579","https://openalex.org/W7154461864","https://openalex.org/W7221528461","https://openalex.org/W7203597325","https://openalex.org/W7214771085","https://openalex.org/W7222632291","https://openalex.org/W7204016057","https://openalex.org/W4416830533","https://openalex.org/W7130675634","https://openalex.org/W7203718731"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"The":[0],"advancement":[1],"of":[2,14,56,88,98,120,152,171,186],"artificial":[3],"intelligence":[4],"toward":[5],"agentic":[6],"science":[7],"is":[8,84],"currently":[9],"bottlenecked":[10],"by":[11,48,112],"the":[12,17,52,117,149],"challenge":[13],"ultra-long-horizon":[15,78,177],"autonomy,":[16],"ability":[18],"to":[19,60,139],"sustain":[20],"strategic":[21],"coherence":[22],"and":[23,133],"iterative":[24],"correction":[25],"over":[26,122],"experimental":[27,145],"cycles":[28],"spanning":[29],"days":[30],"or":[31],"weeks.":[32],"While":[33],"Large":[34],"Language":[35],"Models":[36],"(LLMs)":[37],"have":[38],"demonstrated":[39],"prowess":[40],"in":[41,51],"short-horizon":[42],"reasoning,":[43],"they":[44],"are":[45],"easily":[46],"overwhelmed":[47],"execution":[49,128,142],"details":[50],"high-dimensional,":[53],"delayed-feedback":[54],"environments":[55],"real-world":[57],"research,":[58],"failing":[59],"consolidate":[61],"sparse":[62],"feedback":[63],"into":[64,130],"coherent":[65],"long-term":[66,144],"guidance.":[67],"Here,":[68],"we":[69],"present":[70],"ML-Master":[71,164],"2.0,":[72],"an":[73],"autonomous":[74,187],"agent":[75],"that":[76,115,176],"masters":[77],"machine":[79],"learning":[80],"engineering":[81],"(MLE)":[82],"which":[83],"a":[85,96,108,167,180],"representative":[86],"microcosm":[87],"scientific":[89],"discovery.":[90],"By":[91,124],"reframing":[92],"context":[93,154],"management":[94],"as":[95],"process":[97],"cognitive":[99],"accumulation,":[100],"our":[101],"approach":[102],"introduces":[103],"Hierarchical":[104],"Cognitive":[105],"Caching":[106],"(HCC),":[107],"multi-tiered":[109],"architecture":[110],"inspired":[111],"computer":[113],"systems":[114],"enables":[116],"structural":[118],"differentiation":[119],"experience":[121],"time.":[123],"dynamically":[125],"distilling":[126],"transient":[127],"traces":[129],"stable":[131],"knowledge":[132],"cross-task":[134],"wisdom,":[135],"HCC":[136],"allows":[137],"agents":[138],"decouple":[140],"immediate":[141],"from":[143],"strategy,":[146],"effectively":[147],"overcoming":[148],"scaling":[150],"limits":[151],"static":[153],"windows.":[155],"In":[156],"evaluations":[157],"on":[158],"OpenAI's":[159],"MLE-Bench":[160],"under":[161],"24-hour":[162],"budgets,":[163],"2.0":[165],"achieves":[166],"state-of-the-art":[168],"medal":[169],"rate":[170],"56.44%.":[172],"Our":[173],"findings":[174],"demonstrate":[175],"autonomy":[178],"provides":[179],"scalable":[181],"blueprint":[182],"for":[183],"AI":[184],"capable":[185],"exploration":[188],"beyond":[189],"human-precedent":[190],"complexities.":[191]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2026,"cited_by_count":31}],"updated_date":"2026-11-07T11:25:07.637180","created_date":"2026-01-17T00:00:00"}