mlsanityData to 14 Oct 2026

Graph Chain-of-Thought: Augmenting Large Language Models by Reasoning on Graphs

arXiv 2404.07103 ↗First posted 10 Apr 2024cs.CL cs.IR cs.LGcited by 119

On the map: LLM reasoning → Knowledge- and tool-augmented reasoning

Abstract (arXiv)

Large language models (LLMs), while exhibiting exceptional performance, suffer from hallucinations, especially on knowledge-intensive tasks. Existing works propose to augment LLMs with individual text units retrieved from external knowledge corpora to alleviate the issue. However, in many domains, texts are interconnected (e.g., academic papers in a bibliographic graph are linked by citations and co-authorships) which form a (text-attributed) graph. The knowledge in such graphs is encoded not only in single texts/nodes but also in their associated connections. To facilitate the research of augmenting LLMs with graphs, we manually construct a Graph Reasoning Benchmark dataset called GRBench, containing 1,740 questions that can be answered with the knowledge from 10 domain graphs. Then, we propose a simple and effective framework called Graph Chain-of-thought (Graph-CoT) to augment LLMs with graphs by encouraging LLMs to reason on the graph iteratively. Each Graph-CoT iteration consists of three sub-steps: LLM reasoning, LLM-graph interaction, and graph execution. We conduct systematic experiments with three LLM backbones on GRBench, where Graph-CoT outperforms the baselines consistently. The code is available at https://github.com/PeterGriffinJin/Graph-CoT.

Key facts. Cited by 119 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026). Placed in Knowledge- and tool-augmented reasoning, one of 17 directions in LLM reasoning. Builds on 30 of its 48 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 10 Apr 2024.

Builds on

30 of 48 references.

Closest ancestors · 2

Same direction, newest first

  1. 2024Large Language Models Can Learn Temporal Reasoning12 Jan
  2. 2023Retrieval-Augmented Generation for Large Language Models: A Survey18 Dec

Other references · 28

  1. 2022Training language models to follow instructions with human feedbackcited by 15,971
  2. 2023Llama 2: Open Foundation and Fine-Tuned Chat Modelscited by 13,028
  3. 2020Retrieval-Augmented Generation for Knowledge-Intensive NLP Taskscited by 9,297
  4. 2022ReAct: Synergizing Reasoning and Acting in Language Modelscited by 8,695
  5. 2020Dense Passage Retrieval for Open-Domain Question Answeringcited by 3,824
  6. 2023Lost in the Middle: How Language Models Use Long Contextscited by 3,455
  7. 2019A Comprehensive Survey on Graph Neural Networkscited by 2,919
  8. 2017Billion-scale similarity search with GPUscited by 2,497
  9. 2023The Rise and Potential of Large Language Model Based Agents: A Surveycited by 1,439
  10. 2020Leveraging Passage Retrieval with Generative Models for Open Domain Question Answeringcited by 1,210
  11. 2018Link Prediction Based on Graph Neural Networkscited by 832
  12. 2021Retrieval Augmentation Reduces Hallucination in Conversationcited by 692
16 more
  1. 2016Ups and Downs: Modeling the Visual Evolution of Fashion Trends with One-Class Collaborative Filteringcited by 520
  2. 2021Persistent Anti-Muslim Bias in Large Language Modelscited by 377
  3. 2023A Survey of Hallucination in Large Foundation Modelscited by 368
  4. 2021Towards Understanding and Mitigating Social Biases in Language Modelscited by 296
  5. 2023RAGTruth: A Hallucination Corpus for Developing Trustworthy Retrieval-Augmented Language Modelscited by 283
  6. 2023ToolQA: A Dataset for LLM Question Answering with External Toolscited by 274
  7. 2023Exploring the Potential of Large Language Models (LLMs) in Learning on Graphscited by 274
  8. 2023Language is All a Graph Needscited by 220
  9. 2023Large Language Models on Graphs: A Comprehensive Surveycited by 192
  10. 2022Learning on Large-scale Text-attributed Graphs via Variational Inferencecited by 155
  11. 2021GraphFormers: GNN-nested Transformers for Representation Learning on Textual Graphcited by 143
  12. 2021Node Feature Extraction by Self-Supervised Multi-scale Neighborhood Predictioncited by 138
  13. 2023SimTeG: A Frustratingly Simple Approach Improves Textual Graph Learningcited by 73
  14. 2022Heterformer: Transformer-based Deep Node Representation Learning on Heterogeneous Text-Rich Networkscited by 24
  15. 2020Scientific Paper Recommendation: A Surveycited by 20
  16. 2023The Effect of Metadata on Scientific Literature Tagging: A Cross-Field Cross-Model Studycited by 17

Built on by

Cited by year (2026 to 14 Oct)

Citing papers per year: 2024: 20; 2025: 57; 2026: 42.

119 papers.

Sort:

By area:

  1. 2024Graph Retrieval-Augmented Generation: A Surveycited by 324
  2. 2024Retrieval-Augmented Generation with Graphs (GraphRAG)cited by 172
  3. 2024GNN-RAG: Graph Neural Retrieval for Large Language Model Reasoningcited by 128
  4. 2025A Survey of Context Engineering for Large Language Modelscited by 126
  5. 2024A Comprehensive Survey of Scientific Large Language Models and Their Applications in Scientific Discoverycited by 96
  6. 2024RepoGraph: Enhancing AI Software Engineering with Repository-level Code Graphcited by 91
  7. 2025A Survey of Graph Retrieval-Augmented Generation for Customized Large Language Modelscited by 88
  8. 2024Simple Is Effective: The Roles of Graphs and Large Language Models in Knowledge-Graph-Based Retrieval-Augmented Generationcited by 80
  9. 2024Beyond Chain-of-Thought: A Survey of Chain-of-X Paradigms for LLMscited by 48
  10. 2025Towards Agentic RAG with Deep Reasoning: A Survey of RAG-Reasoning Systems in LLMscited by 42
  11. 2024Graph Machine Learning in the Era of Large Language Models (LLMs)cited by 33
  12. 2025AgentRouter: A Knowledge-Graph-Guided LLM Router for Collaborative Multi-Agent Question Answeringcited by 32
38 more
  1. 2025Towards Trustworthy Retrieval Augmented Generation for Large Language Models: A Surveycited by 30
  2. 2024HybGRAG: Hybrid Retrieval-Augmented Generation on Textual and Relational Knowledge Basescited by 29
  3. 2025KET-RAG: A Cost-Efficient Multi-Granular Indexing Framework for Graph-RAGcited by 29
  4. 2025From Single to Multi-Granularity: Toward Long-Term Memory Association and Selection of Conversational Agentscited by 29
  5. 2025ViCrit: A Verifiable Reinforcement Learning Proxy Task for Visual Perception in VLMscited by 25
  6. 2024MemSim: A Bayesian Simulator for Evaluating Memory of LLM-based Personal Assistantscited by 24
  7. 2025Graphs Meet AI Agents: Taxonomy, Progress, and Future Opportunitiescited by 23
  8. 2024STEP: Enhancing Video-LLMs' Compositional Reasoning by Spatio-Temporal Graph-guided Self-Trainingcited by 22
  9. 2024Let's Ask GNN: Empowering Large Language Model for Graph In-Context Learningcited by 21
  10. 2025Graph-based Approaches and Functionalities in Retrieval-Augmented Generation: A Comprehensive Surveycited by 18
  11. 2025OnePiece: Bringing Context Engineering and Reasoning to Industrial Cascade Ranking Systemcited by 18
  12. 2025GRAPHGPT-O: Synergistic Multimodal Comprehension and Generation on Graphscited by 17
  13. 2025Causal Sufficiency and Necessity Improves Chain-of-Thought Reasoningcited by 17
  14. 2024medIKAL: Integrating Knowledge Graphs as Assistants of LLMs for Enhanced Clinical Diagnosis on EMRscited by 16
  15. 2024Domain-Specific Retrieval-Augmented Generation Using Vector Stores, Knowledge Graphs, and Tensor Factorizationcited by 15
  16. 2025Graph RAG-Tool Fusioncited by 15
  17. 2025Tool-to-Agent Retrieval: Bridging Tools and Agents for Scalable LLM Multi-Agent Systemscited by 15
  18. 2024GraphEval36K: Benchmarking Coding and Reasoning Capabilities of Large Language Models on Graph Datasetscited by 12
  19. 2025Mixture of Structural-and-Textual Retrieval over Text-rich Graph Knowledge Basescited by 11
  20. 2025Don't Think Longer, Think Wisely: Optimizing Thinking Dynamics for Large Reasoning Modelscited by 11
  21. 2024Graph Neural Network Enhanced Retrieval for Question Answering of LLMscited by 10
  22. 2025BioMaze: Benchmarking and Enhancing Large Language Models for Biological Pathway Reasoningcited by 10
  23. 2025NG-Router: Graph-Supervised Multi-Agent Collaboration for Nutrition Question Answeringcited by 10
  24. 2025Scaling Graph Chain-of-Thought Reasoning: A Multi-Agent Framework with Efficient LLM Servingcited by 10
  25. 2025GCoT: Chain-of-Thought Prompt Learning for Graphscited by 9
  26. 2024Enhancing Logical Reasoning in Large Language Models through Graph-based Synthetic Datacited by 8
  27. 2025Reasoning with Graphs: Structuring Implicit Knowledge to Enhance LLMs Reasoningcited by 8
  28. 2025A Comment On "The Illusion of Thinking": Reframing the Reasoning Cliff as an Agentic Gapcited by 8
  29. 2025A Survey on Retrieval And Structuring Augmented Generation with Large Language Modelscited by 8
  30. 2025Grounding LLM Reasoning with Knowledge Graphscited by 7
  31. 2025DSADF: Thinking Fast and Slow for Decision Makingcited by 7
  32. 2025AutoGraph-R1: End-to-End Reinforcement Learning for Knowledge Graph Constructioncited by 7
  33. 2025Graph-O1 : Monte Carlo Tree Search with Reinforcement Learning for Text-Attributed Graph Reasoningcited by 7
  34. 2026GraphSearch: Agentic Search-Augmented Reasoning for Zero-Shot Graph Learningcited by 7
  35. 2024CARROT: A Learned Cost-Constrained Retrieval Optimization System for RAGcited by 6
  36. 2026A2RAG: Adaptive Agentic Graph Retrieval for Cost-Aware and Reliable Reasoningcited by 6
  37. 2025Rank, Chunk and Expand: Lineage-Oriented Reasoning for Taxonomy Expansioncited by 5
  38. 2025Learning Efficient and Generalizable Graph Retriever for Knowledge-Graph Question Answeringcited by 5

50 most cited of 119 All 119 (JSON)

Similar, not cited

Close in wording, no citation either way

  1. 2023Talk like a Graph: Encoding Graphs for Large Language Models
  2. 2024Revisiting the Graph Reasoning Ability of Large Language Models: Case Studies in Translation, Connectivity and Shortest Path
  3. 2024GUNDAM: Aligning Large Language Models with Graph Understanding
  4. 2023Reasoning on Graphs: Faithful and Interpretable Large Language Model Reasoning
  5. 2023Evaluating Large Language Models on Graphs: Performance Insights and Comparative Analysis
  6. 2026The Graph Language: How Knowledge Graphs Speak to Large Language Models
  7. 2023Think-on-Graph: Deep and Responsible Reasoning of Large Language Model on Knowledge Graph
  8. 2026From Chains to Graphs: Self-Structured Reasoning for General-Domain LLMs