{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7171570395","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2607.24287","title":"The Semantic Least-Energy Principle: A Hypothesis for Intelligence","display_name":"The Semantic Least-Energy Principle: A Hypothesis for Intelligence","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-07-27","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7171570395","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2607.24287"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2607.24287","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2607.24287","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,"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.2607.24287","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5143754620","display_name":"Jie Zhang","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zhang, Jie","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5143799868","display_name":"Haoyuan Zhu","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zhu, Haoyuan","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5143747601","display_name":"James Jinheng Zhang","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zhang, James Jinheng","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5143794466","display_name":"Haonan Hu","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Hu, Haonan","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/T13062","display_name":"Cognitive Computing and Networks","score":0.28349998593330383,"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/T13062","display_name":"Cognitive Computing and Networks","score":0.28349998593330383,"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/T12002","display_name":"Computability, Logic, AI Algorithms","score":0.12319999933242798,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1703","display_name":"Computational Theory and Mathematics"},"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/T12090","display_name":"Language and cultural evolution","score":0.07699999958276749,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3316","display_name":"Cultural Studies"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/semantic-computing","display_name":"Semantic computing","score":0.5081999897956848},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/semantics","display_name":"Semantics (computer science)","score":0.4896000027656555},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/probabilistic-latent-semantic-analysis","display_name":"Probabilistic latent semantic analysis","score":0.4691999852657318},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/semantic-memory","display_name":"Semantic memory","score":0.46230000257492065},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/latent-semantic-analysis","display_name":"Latent semantic analysis","score":0.4235000014305115},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/semantic-integration","display_name":"Semantic integration","score":0.41280001401901245},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/cognition","display_name":"Cognition","score":0.4108999967575073},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/semantic-data-model","display_name":"Semantic data model","score":0.388700008392334}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.6804999709129333},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.612500011920929},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C511149849","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7449051","display_name":"Semantic computing","level":3,"score":0.5081999897956848},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C184337299","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1437428","display_name":"Semantics (computer science)","level":2,"score":0.4896000027656555},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C112933361","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2845258","display_name":"Probabilistic latent semantic analysis","level":2,"score":0.4691999852657318},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C197914299","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18650","display_name":"Semantic memory","level":3,"score":0.46230000257492065},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C170133592","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1806883","display_name":"Latent semantic analysis","level":2,"score":0.4235000014305115},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C110903229","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7449064","display_name":"Semantic integration","level":4,"score":0.41280001401901245},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C169900460","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2200417","display_name":"Cognition","level":2,"score":0.4108999967575073},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C188147891","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q147638","display_name":"Cognitive science","level":1,"score":0.4074999988079071},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C90312973","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7449052","display_name":"Semantic data model","level":2,"score":0.388700008392334},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C85407183","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1045785","display_name":"Semantic network","level":2,"score":0.38339999318122864},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C204321447","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q30642","display_name":"Natural language processing","level":1,"score":0.3806999921798706},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C130318100","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2268914","display_name":"Semantic similarity","level":2,"score":0.3799999952316284},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780791683","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q846785","display_name":"Action (physics)","level":2,"score":0.34299999475479126},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C103692084","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1765824","display_name":"Semantic grid","level":3,"score":0.326200008392334},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C33553690","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17014702","display_name":"Free energy principle","level":2,"score":0.3230000138282776},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C198942812","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q496618","display_name":"Semantic property","level":2,"score":0.31310001015663147},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C161301231","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3478658","display_name":"Knowledge representation and reasoning","level":2,"score":0.3043000102043152},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C179518139","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5140297","display_name":"Coding (social sciences)","level":2,"score":0.30059999227523804},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C52622258","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q131222","display_name":"Information theory","level":2,"score":0.29429998993873596}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2607.24287","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2607.24287","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,"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.2607.24287","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2607.24287","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,"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":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"pdf":false,"grobid_xml":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Despite":[0],"remarkable":[1],"advances":[2],"in":[3,103],"artificial":[4,172],"intelligence":[5,192],"and":[6,40,52,61,92,138,158,173],"cognitive":[7],"neuroscience,":[8],"no":[9],"generally":[10],"accepted":[11],"first-principle":[12,195],"explains":[13],"why":[14],"intelligent":[15,78],"systems":[16,79],"organize":[17],"latent":[18,122,140],"semantic":[19,64,85,105,123,134,136,141,154,191],"states":[20,142],"as":[21,27,74,143],"they":[22],"do.":[23],"Existing":[24],"frameworks":[25,47],"such":[26],"information":[28],"theory,":[29],"the":[30,33,41,59,69,147,177],"Information":[31,36],"Bottleneck,":[32],"Degree":[34],"of":[35,63,130,146],"Abstraction,":[37],"predictive":[38],"coding":[39],"Free":[42],"Energy":[43],"Principle":[44,72],"provide":[45],"powerful":[46],"for":[48,170,189],"understanding":[49],"communication,":[50],"learning,":[51],"prediction,":[53],"but":[54],"do":[55],"not":[56],"explicitly":[57],"explain":[58],"emergence":[60],"organization":[62],"intelligence.":[65,175],"Here":[66],"we":[67],"propose":[68],"\\textbf{Semantic":[70],"Least-Energy":[71],"(SLEP)}":[73],"a":[75,100,110,121,128,161,186,194],"hypothesis":[76,98,178],"that":[77],"evolve":[80],"internal":[81],"representations":[82],"by":[83,109],"maximizing":[84],"utility":[86],"while":[87,165],"progressively":[88],"minimizing":[89],"semantic,":[90],"predictive,":[91],"computational":[93],"energy.":[94],"We":[95],"formulate":[96],"this":[97],"within":[99,160],"variational":[101],"framework":[102,164],"which":[104],"cognition":[106],"is":[107],"governed":[108],"Semantic":[111],"Action":[112],"Functional":[113],"whose":[114],"stationary":[115],"solutions":[116],"define":[117],"efficient":[118],"trajectories":[119],"on":[120],"manifold.":[124],"This":[125],"formulation":[126],"emerges":[127],"series":[129],"theoretical":[131],"predictions,":[132],"including":[133],"geometry,":[135],"thermodynamics,":[137],"low-energy":[139],"complementary":[144],"consequences":[145],"same":[148],"underlying":[149],"optimization":[150],"process.":[151],"SLEP":[152],"unifies":[153],"abstraction,":[155],"reasoning,":[156],"planning,":[157],"communication":[159],"common":[162],"mathematical":[163],"generating":[166],"experimentally":[167],"testable":[168],"predictions":[169],"both":[171],"biological":[174],"Although":[176],"remains":[179],"to":[180],"be":[181],"rigorously":[182],"validated,":[183],"it":[184],"provides":[185],"principled":[187],"foundation":[188],"investigating":[190],"from":[193],"perspective.":[196]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-07-29T09:40:50.615796","created_date":"2026-07-29T00:00:00"}
