{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7162322464","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.23315","title":"Convergence Without Understanding: When Language Models Agree on Representations but Disagree on Reasoning","display_name":"Convergence Without Understanding: When Language Models Agree on Representations but Disagree on Reasoning","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-05-22","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7162322464","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.23315"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2605.23315","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.23315","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.2605.23315","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5086703267","display_name":"Muhammad Usama","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5015-8605"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Usama, Muhammad","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5090203902","display_name":"Dong Eui Chang","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6496-4189"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Chang, Dong Eui","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/T12026","display_name":"Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI)","score":0.5199999809265137,"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/T12026","display_name":"Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI)","score":0.5199999809265137,"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/T11714","display_name":"Multimodal Machine Learning Applications","score":0.08699999749660492,"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/T10028","display_name":"Topic Modeling","score":0.07429999858140945,"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/interpretability","display_name":"Interpretability","score":0.8622999787330627},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/similarity","display_name":"Similarity (geometry)","score":0.5371999740600586},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/convergence","display_name":"Convergence (economics)","score":0.5278000235557556},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/representation","display_name":"Representation (politics)","score":0.5109999775886536},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/language-model","display_name":"Language model","score":0.4438999891281128},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/causal-reasoning","display_name":"Causal reasoning","score":0.3828999996185303},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/knowledge-representation-and-reasoning","display_name":"Knowledge representation and reasoning","score":0.3824000060558319},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/kernel","display_name":"Kernel (algebra)","score":0.3727000057697296}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2781067378","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17027399","display_name":"Interpretability","level":2,"score":0.8622999787330627},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.6136999726295471},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C103278499","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q254465","display_name":"Similarity (geometry)","level":3,"score":0.5371999740600586},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.5286999940872192},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777303404","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q759757","display_name":"Convergence (economics)","level":2,"score":0.5278000235557556},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776359362","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2145286","display_name":"Representation (politics)","level":3,"score":0.5109999775886536},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C80444323","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2878974","display_name":"Theoretical computer science","level":1,"score":0.489300012588501},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C137293760","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3621696","display_name":"Language model","level":2,"score":0.4438999891281128},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C204321447","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q30642","display_name":"Natural language processing","level":1,"score":0.3952000141143799},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C115086926","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17004651","display_name":"Causal reasoning","level":3,"score":0.3828999996185303},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C161301231","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3478658","display_name":"Knowledge representation and reasoning","level":2,"score":0.3824000060558319},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C74193536","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q574844","display_name":"Kernel (algebra)","level":2,"score":0.3727000057697296},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C66024118","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1122506","display_name":"Computational model","level":2,"score":0.3504999876022339},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C195324797","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q33742","display_name":"Natural language","level":2,"score":0.3330000042915344},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C155092808","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q182557","display_name":"Computational linguistics","level":2,"score":0.3280999958515167},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C119857082","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2539","display_name":"Machine learning","level":1,"score":0.32170000672340393},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C11671645","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5054567","display_name":"Causal model","level":2,"score":0.3176000118255615},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779439875","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1078276","display_name":"Natural language understanding","level":3,"score":0.314300000667572},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C188147891","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q147638","display_name":"Cognitive science","level":1,"score":0.30160000920295715},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776760102","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5139990","display_name":"Code (set theory)","level":3,"score":0.2896000146865845},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776036281","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q48769818","display_name":"Constraint (computer-aided design)","level":2,"score":0.2671000063419342},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C191399111","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q64861","display_name":"Transitive relation","level":2,"score":0.2563999891281128},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C511192102","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5156948","display_name":"Comprehension","level":2,"score":0.25189998745918274},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778220771","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1522579","display_name":"Substitution (logic)","level":2,"score":0.2515999972820282}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2605.23315","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.23315","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.2605.23315","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.23315","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":0.4954497218132019,"display_name":"Peace, Justice and strong institutions","id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/16"}],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Large":[0],"language":[1,48,159],"models":[2,49,85,133,160],"trained":[3],"under":[4],"diverse":[5],"objectives":[6],"and":[7,65,73,124,179],"architectures":[8],"have":[9],"been":[10],"shown":[11],"to":[12,31,54,145],"develop":[13],"increasingly":[14],"similar":[15],"internal":[16],"representations,":[17],"an":[18],"observation":[19],"formalized":[20],"as":[21],"the":[22,32],"Platonic":[23],"Representation":[24],"Hypothesis.":[25],"Whether":[26],"this":[27],"representational":[28,44,156],"convergence":[29,157],"extends":[30],"reasoning":[33,59,169],"processes":[34],"that":[35,155],"operate":[36],"over":[37],"shared":[38,128,162,168],"representations":[39,112,119],"remains":[40],"untested.":[41],"We":[42],"evaluate":[43],"similarity":[45],"across":[46,132,149],"16":[47],"from":[50],"8":[51],"families":[52],"(1.5B":[53],"72B":[55],"parameters)":[56],"on":[57,88,100,142],"800":[58],"problems":[60,89],"spanning":[61],"mathematics,":[62],"science,":[63],"commonsense,":[64],"truthfulness,":[66],"stratifying":[67],"by":[68],"problem":[69],"difficulty,":[70],"computational":[71],"stage,":[72],"causal":[74,140],"relevance.":[75],"Our":[76],"analysis":[77],"reveals":[78],"three":[79],"dissociations:":[80],"a":[81,107],"difficulty":[82],"inversion,":[83],"where":[84,110,127],"converge":[86],"more":[87],"they":[90,102],"collectively":[91],"fail":[92],"(Centered":[93],"Kernel":[94],"Alignment":[95],"[CKA]":[96],"=":[97,105,115,122],"0.897)":[98],"than":[99,167],"those":[101],"solve":[103],"(CKA":[104,114,121],"0.830);":[106],"generation":[108],"gap,":[109],"pre-decision":[111],"align":[113],"0.875)":[116],"while":[117],"post-decision":[118],"diverge":[120],"0.274);":[123],"epiphenomenal":[125],"correctness,":[126],"information":[129],"is":[130,185],"decodable":[131],"(66%":[134],"transfer":[135],"accuracy)":[136],"but":[137],"exerts":[138],"minimal":[139],"influence":[141],"predictions":[143],"(1.5%":[144],"5.5%":[146],"flip":[147],"rate":[148],"ablation":[150],"protocols).":[151],"These":[152],"results":[153],"indicate":[154],"in":[158],"reflects":[161],"input":[163],"processing":[164],"constraints":[165],"rather":[166],"strategies,":[170],"with":[171],"direct":[172],"implications":[173],"for":[174],"ensemble":[175],"design,":[176],"interpretability":[177],"transfer,":[178],"evaluations":[180],"of":[181],"model":[182],"similarity.":[183],"Code":[184],"available":[186],"at":[187],"https://github.com/Usama1002/convergence-without-understanding.":[188]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-07-01T06:00:48.157686","created_date":"2026-05-26T00:00:00"}
