{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7152701764","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2604.06753","title":"Select-then-Solve: Paradigm Routing as Inference-Time Optimization for LLM Agents","display_name":"Select-then-Solve: Paradigm Routing as Inference-Time Optimization for LLM Agents","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-04-08","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7152701764","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2604.06753"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2604.06753","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2604.06753","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":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"},"type":"preprint","indexed_in":["datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2604.06753","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5133238635","display_name":"Heng Zhou","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zhou, Heng","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5073375553","display_name":"Zelin Tan","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5736-8218"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Tan, Zelin","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5133290067","display_name":"Zhemeng Zhang","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zhang, Zhemeng","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5100901083","display_name":"Yutao Fan","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Fan, Yutao","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5064416250","display_name":"Yibing Lin","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0001-0486-459X"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Lin, Yibing","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5133304100","display_name":"Li Kang","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Kang, Li","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":null,"display_name":"Song, Xiufeng","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Song, Xiufeng","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5133294411","display_name":"Rui Li","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0006-7305-3578"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Li, Rui","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5133298200","display_name":"Songtao Huang","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Huang, Songtao","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5101376315","display_name":"Ao Yu","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8841-9751"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Yu, Ao","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5133252433","display_name":"Yuchen Fan","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Fan, Yuchen","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5133295776","display_name":"Yanxu Chen","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Chen, Yanxu","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5133249907","display_name":"Kaixin Xu","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Xu, Kaixin","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5133312376","display_name":"Xiaohong Liu","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Liu, Xiaohong","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5113116658","display_name":"Yiran Qin","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0008-4561-0685"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Qin, Yiran","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5133297786","display_name":"Philip H. S. Torr","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Torr, Philip","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5019897125","display_name":"Chen Zhang","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7940-8054"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zhang, Chen","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5133265879","display_name":"Zhenfei Yin","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Yin, Zhenfei","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":0,"institutions_distinct_count":0,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"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/T11273","display_name":"Advanced Graph Neural Networks","score":0.12630000710487366,"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/T11273","display_name":"Advanced Graph Neural Networks","score":0.12630000710487366,"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/T10036","display_name":"Advanced Neural Network Applications","score":0.09809999912977219,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1707","display_name":"Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition"},"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/T12026","display_name":"Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI)","score":0.06509999930858612,"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/oracle","display_name":"Oracle","score":0.7585999965667725},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/router","display_name":"Router","score":0.6942999958992004},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/selection","display_name":"Selection (genetic algorithm)","score":0.6207000017166138},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/paradigm-shift","display_name":"Paradigm shift","score":0.5120999813079834},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/routing","display_name":"Routing (electronic design automation)","score":0.4074000120162964}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C55166926","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2892946","display_name":"Oracle","level":2,"score":0.7585999965667725},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2775896111","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q642560","display_name":"Router","level":2,"score":0.6942999958992004},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.6772000193595886},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C81917197","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q628760","display_name":"Selection (genetic algorithm)","level":2,"score":0.6207000017166138},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C43540301","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q689971","display_name":"Paradigm shift","level":2,"score":0.5120999813079834},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.4731999933719635},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C74172769","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1446839","display_name":"Routing (electronic design automation)","level":2,"score":0.4074000120162964},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C119857082","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2539","display_name":"Machine learning","level":1,"score":0.33500000834465027},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779808786","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6664603","display_name":"Locality","level":2,"score":0.32339999079704285},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C185798385","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1161707","display_name":"Benchmark (surveying)","level":2,"score":0.28790000081062317},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C90509273","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11012","display_name":"Robot","level":2,"score":0.28119999170303345},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C80444323","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2878974","display_name":"Theoretical computer science","level":1,"score":0.2506999969482422}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2604.06753","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2604.06753","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":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":null,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2604.06753","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2604.06753","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":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"},"sustainable_development_goals":[{"score":0.578616201877594,"id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/16","display_name":"Peace, Justice and strong institutions"}],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"pdf":false,"grobid_xml":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"When":[0],"an":[1],"LLM-based":[2],"agent":[3],"improves":[4,66,125],"on":[5,58,63,71,79,96],"a":[6,104,111,179,184,188],"task,":[7,110],"is":[8],"the":[9,12,17,90,116,123,133,147,167],"gain":[10],"from":[11,16,128],"model":[13],"itself":[14],"or":[15],"reasoning":[18,54,174],"paradigm":[19,83,93,136,175],"wrapped":[20],"around":[21],"it?":[22],"We":[23,51],"study":[24],"this":[25,100],"question":[26],"by":[27,69,77,94,99,139,183],"comparing":[28],"six":[29],"inference-time":[30],"paradigms,":[31],"namely":[32],"Direct,":[33],"CoT,":[34],"ReAct,":[35],"Plan-Execute,":[36],"Reflection,":[37],"and":[38,44,85,141,160],"ReCode,":[39],"across":[40],"four":[41,121],"frontier":[42],"LLMs":[43],"ten":[45],"benchmarks,":[46],"yielding":[47],"roughly":[48],"18,000":[49],"runs.":[50],"find":[52],"that":[53,173],"structure":[55],"helps":[56],"dramatically":[57],"some":[59],"tasks":[60],"but":[61],"hurts":[62],"others:":[64],"ReAct":[65],"over":[67],"Direct":[68],"44pp":[70],"GAIA,":[72],"while":[73],"CoT":[74],"degrades":[75],"performance":[76],"15pp":[78],"HumanEval.":[80],"No":[81],"single":[82],"dominates,":[84],"oracle":[86,148],"per-task":[87,180],"selection":[88,176],"beats":[89],"best":[91,134],"fixed":[92,135,189],"17.1pp":[95],"average.":[97],"Motivated":[98],"complementarity,":[101],"we":[102],"propose":[103],"select-then-solve":[105],"approach:":[106],"before":[107],"answering":[108],"each":[109],"lightweight":[112],"embedding-based":[113],"router":[114,124],"selects":[115],"most":[117],"suitable":[118],"paradigm.":[119],"Across":[120],"models,":[122,164],"average":[126],"accuracy":[127],"47.6%":[129],"to":[130,144],"53.1%,":[131],"outperforming":[132],"at":[137,158],"50.3%":[138],"2.8pp":[140],"recovering":[142],"up":[143],"37%":[145],"of":[146],"gap.":[149],"In":[150],"contrast,":[151],"zero-shot":[152],"self-routing":[153],"only":[154],"works":[155],"for":[156,162],"GPT-5":[157],"67.1%":[159],"fails":[161],"weaker":[163],"all":[165],"trailing":[166],"learned":[168,185],"router.":[169],"Our":[170],"results":[171],"argue":[172],"should":[177],"be":[178],"decision":[181],"made":[182],"router,":[186],"not":[187],"architectural":[190],"choice.":[191]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-07-01T06:00:48.157686","created_date":"2026-04-10T00:00:00"}
