{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7125498660","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2601.15495","title":"Tracking the Limits of Knowledge Propagation: How LLMs Fail at Multi-Step Reasoning with Conflicting Knowledge","display_name":"Tracking the Limits of Knowledge Propagation: How LLMs Fail at Multi-Step Reasoning with Conflicting Knowledge","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-01-21","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7125498660","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2601.15495"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2601.15495","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2601.15495","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"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":"article"},"type":"preprint","indexed_in":["datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2601.15495","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5112265206","display_name":"Yiyang Feng","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1238-4382"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Feng, Yiyang","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5123671338","display_name":"Zeming Chen","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Chen, Zeming","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5123719130","display_name":"Haotian Wu","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Wu, Haotian","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5123632171","display_name":"Jiawei Zhou","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zhou, Jiawei","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5123700257","display_name":"Antoine Bosselut","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Bosselut, Antoine","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"affiliations":[]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":0,"institutions_distinct_count":5,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5112265206"],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":null,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"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/T10028","display_name":"Topic Modeling","score":0.47769999504089355,"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/T10028","display_name":"Topic Modeling","score":0.47769999504089355,"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/T11273","display_name":"Advanced Graph Neural Networks","score":0.12880000472068787,"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/T10181","display_name":"Natural Language Processing Techniques","score":0.08730000257492065,"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"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/benchmark","display_name":"Benchmark (surveying)","score":0.6841999888420105},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/focus","display_name":"Focus (optics)","score":0.580299973487854},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/track","display_name":"Track (disk drive)","score":0.45179998874664307},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/tracking","display_name":"Tracking (education)","score":0.40689998865127563},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/knowledge-based-systems","display_name":"Knowledge-based systems","score":0.36329999566078186},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/model-based-reasoning","display_name":"Model-based reasoning","score":0.35600000619888306},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/soundness","display_name":"Soundness","score":0.35350000858306885},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/parametric-statistics","display_name":"Parametric statistics","score":0.35120001435279846}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C185798385","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1161707","display_name":"Benchmark (surveying)","level":2,"score":0.6841999888420105},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.660099983215332},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C192209626","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q190909","display_name":"Focus (optics)","level":2,"score":0.580299973487854},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C89992363","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5961558","display_name":"Track (disk drive)","level":2,"score":0.45179998874664307},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.42089998722076416},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2775936607","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q466845","display_name":"Tracking (education)","level":2,"score":0.40689998865127563},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C115925183","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1412694","display_name":"Knowledge-based systems","level":2,"score":0.36329999566078186},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C37335422","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6888134","display_name":"Model-based reasoning","level":3,"score":0.35600000619888306},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C39920170","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q693083","display_name":"Soundness","level":2,"score":0.35350000858306885},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C117251300","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1849855","display_name":"Parametric statistics","level":2,"score":0.35120001435279846},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2522767166","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2374463","display_name":"Data science","level":1,"score":0.3400000035762787},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C31084985","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q372650","display_name":"Common knowledge (logic)","level":5,"score":0.325300008058548},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C161301231","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3478658","display_name":"Knowledge representation and reasoning","level":2,"score":0.3109000027179718},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C112930515","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4389547","display_name":"Risk analysis (engineering)","level":1,"score":0.301800012588501},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780009758","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6804172","display_name":"Measure (data warehouse)","level":2,"score":0.2919999957084656},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C20162079","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1151406","display_name":"Case-based reasoning","level":2,"score":0.2874999940395355},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C56739046","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q192060","display_name":"Knowledge management","level":1,"score":0.2809000015258789},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C119857082","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2539","display_name":"Machine learning","level":1,"score":0.2791000008583069},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C195344581","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2555318","display_name":"Automated reasoning","level":2,"score":0.2766999900341034},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C100660578","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18733","display_name":"Recall","level":2,"score":0.2741999924182892},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777508537","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7936620","display_name":"Visual reasoning","level":2,"score":0.259799987077713},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C61797465","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1188986","display_name":"Term (time)","level":2,"score":0.2556999921798706},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C81669768","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2359161","display_name":"Precision and recall","level":2,"score":0.2549999952316284},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C207685749","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2088941","display_name":"Domain knowledge","level":2,"score":0.2522999942302704}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2601.15495","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2601.15495","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"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":null,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2601.15495","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2601.15495","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"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":"article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"A":[0],"common":[1],"solution":[2],"for":[3,48,84,131],"mitigating":[4],"outdated":[5],"or":[6,20],"incorrect":[7],"information":[8],"in":[9,195],"Large":[10],"Language":[11],"Models":[12],"(LLMs)":[13],"is":[14,177],"to":[15,35,43,116,129,137,142,165,185],"provide":[16],"updated":[17,127,140,153,168],"facts":[18,128,141,154],"in-context":[19],"through":[21,91],"knowledge":[22,28,32,57,90,176,194],"editing.":[23],"However,":[24],"these":[25,65],"methods":[26],"introduce":[27,74],"conflicts":[29,96,115],"when":[30,94,175],"the":[31,37,98],"update":[33],"fails":[34],"overwrite":[36],"model's":[38,99],"parametric":[39,101],"knowledge,":[40],"which":[41],"propagate":[42,88],"faulty":[44],"reasoning.":[45,69,197],"Current":[46],"benchmarks":[47],"this":[49,71,147,159],"problem,":[50],"however,":[51],"largely":[52],"focus":[53],"only":[54],"on":[55,122,191],"single":[56],"updates":[58,66],"and":[59,109,145,187],"fact":[60],"recall":[61],"without":[62],"evaluating":[63],"how":[64,86],"affect":[67],"downstream":[68],"In":[70],"work,":[72],"we":[73],"TRACK":[75,111,123,179],"(Testing":[76],"Reasoning":[77],"Amid":[78],"Conflicting":[79],"Knowledge),":[80],"a":[81,143,181],"new":[82,89,183],"benchmark":[83,184],"studying":[85],"LLMs":[87],"multi-step":[92,196],"reasoning":[93,132,173],"it":[95],"with":[97],"initial":[100],"knowledge.":[102],"Spanning":[103],"three":[104],"reasoning-intensive":[105],"scenarios":[106],"(WIKI,":[107],"CODE,":[108],"MATH),":[110],"introduces":[112],"multiple,":[113],"realistic":[114],"mirror":[117],"real-world":[118],"complexity.":[119],"Our":[120],"results":[121],"reveal":[124],"that":[125,146],"providing":[126,138],"models":[130],"can":[133],"worsen":[134],"performance":[135,148],"compared":[136],"no":[139],"model,":[144],"degradation":[149],"exacerbates":[150],"as":[151],"more":[152],"are":[155],"provided.":[156],"We":[157],"show":[158],"failure":[160],"stems":[161],"from":[162],"both":[163],"inability":[164],"faithfully":[166],"integrate":[167],"facts,":[169],"but":[170],"also":[171],"flawed":[172],"even":[174],"integrated.":[178],"provides":[180],"rigorous":[182],"measure":[186],"guide":[188],"future":[189],"progress":[190],"propagating":[192],"conflicting":[193]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-01-24T23:27:35.965710","created_date":"2026-01-24T00:00:00"}
