mlsanityData to 14 Oct 2026

A Review of Prominent Paradigms for LLM-Based Agents: Tool Use (Including RAG), Planning, and Feedback Learning

arXiv 2406.05804 ↗First posted 9 Jun 2024cs.AI cs.CL cs.SEcited by 74

On the map: LLM agents and tool use → General LLM agent frameworks and benchmarks

Abstract (arXiv)

Tool use, planning, and feedback learning are currently three prominent paradigms for developing Large Language Model (LLM)-based agents across various tasks. Although numerous frameworks have been devised for each paradigm, their intricate workflows and inconsistent taxonomy create challenges in understanding and reviewing the frameworks across different paradigms. This survey introduces a unified taxonomy to systematically review and discuss these frameworks. Specifically, 1) the taxonomy defines environments/tasks, common LLM-profiled roles or LMPRs (policy models, evaluators, and dynamic models), and universally applicable workflows found in prior work, and 2) it enables a comparison of key perspectives on the implementations of LMPRs and workflow designs across different agent paradigms and frameworks. 3) Finally, we identify three limitations in existing workflow designs and systematically discuss the future work. Resources have been made publicly available at in our GitHub repository https://github.com/xinzhel/LLM-Agent-Survey.

Key facts. Cited by 74 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026). Placed in General LLM agent frameworks and benchmarks, one of 16 directions in LLM agents and tool use. Builds on 40 of its 59 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 9 Jun 2024.

Builds on

40 of 59 references.

Closest ancestors · 5

Same direction, newest first

  1. 2024Understanding the planning of LLM agents: A survey5 Feb
  2. 2023Language Agent Tree Search Unifies Reasoning Acting and Planning in Language Models6 Oct
  3. 2023The Rise and Potential of Large Language Model Based Agents: A Survey14 Sep
  4. 2023A Survey on Large Language Model based Autonomous Agents22 Aug
  5. 2023AdaPlanner: Adaptive Planning from Feedback with Language Models26 May

Other references · 35

  1. 2021Training Verifiers to Solve Math Word Problemscited by 10,109
  2. 2020Retrieval-Augmented Generation for Knowledge-Intensive NLP Taskscited by 9,297
  3. 2022ReAct: Synergizing Reasoning and Acting in Language Modelscited by 8,695
  4. 2022Large Language Models are Zero-Shot Reasonerscited by 4,374
  5. 2023Reflexion: Language Agents with Verbal Reinforcement Learningcited by 4,276
  6. 2018HotpotQA: A Dataset for Diverse, Explainable Multi-hop Question Answeringcited by 3,754
  7. 2023Self-Refine: Iterative Refinement with Self-Feedbackcited by 3,442
  8. 2023WebArena: A Realistic Web Environment for Building Autonomous Agentscited by 2,006
  9. 2022WebShop: Towards Scalable Real-World Web Interaction with Grounded Language Agentscited by 1,251
  10. 2020ALFWorld: Aligning Text and Embodied Environments for Interactive Learningcited by 1,205
  11. 2022Language Models as Zero-Shot Planners: Extracting Actionable Knowledge for Embodied Agentscited by 1,035
  12. 2023Graph of Thoughts: Solving Elaborate Problems with Large Language Modelscited by 886
23 more
  1. 2023Reasoning with Language Model is Planning with World Modelcited by 861
  2. 2023REPLUG: Retrieval-Augmented Black-Box Language Modelscited by 792
  3. 2023CRITIC: Large Language Models Can Self-Correct with Tool-Interactive Critiquingcited by 783
  4. 2023Large Language Modelscited by 780
  5. 2023Whose Opinions Do Language Models Reflect?cited by 773
  6. 2023AGIEval: A Human-Centric Benchmark for Evaluating Foundation Modelscited by 716
  7. 2023Plan-and-Solve Prompting: Improving Zero-Shot Chain-of-Thought Reasoning by Large Language Modelscited by 560
  8. 2022MineDojo: Building Open-Ended Embodied Agents with Internet-Scale Knowledgecited by 478
  9. 2018VirtualHome: Simulating Household Activities via Programscited by 415
  10. 2023Alphazero-like Tree-Search can Guide Large Language Model Decoding and Trainingcited by 295
  11. 2023Large Language Models as Commonsense Knowledge for Large-Scale Task Planningcited by 231
  12. 2023Leveraging Pre-trained Large Language Models to Construct and Utilize World Models for Model-based Task Planningcited by 207
  13. 2023Self-Evaluation Guided Beam Search for Reasoningcited by 196
  14. 2024A Survey on Large Language Model-Based Game Agentscited by 112
  15. 2023Learning Performance-Improving Code Editscited by 106
  16. 2024Large Language Models and Games: A Survey and Roadmapcited by 93
  17. 2023A Multi-Task Embedder For Retrieval Augmented LLMscited by 64
  18. 2023Collaborating with language models for embodied reasoningcited by 61
  19. 2023Prompt-Based Monte-Carlo Tree Search for Goal-Oriented Dialogue Policy Planningcited by 61
  20. 2021From LSAT: The Progress and Challenges of Complex Reasoningcited by 43
  21. 2023MultiTool-CoT: GPT-3 Can Use Multiple External Tools with Chain of Thought Promptingcited by 27
  22. 2023Monte Carlo Thought Search: Large Language Model Querying for Complex Scientific Reasoning in Catalyst Designcited by 17
  23. 2024OPEx: A Component-Wise Analysis of LLM-Centric Agents in Embodied Instruction Followingcited by 14

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Cited by year (2026 to 14 Oct)

Citing papers per year: 2024: 4; 2025: 33; 2026: 37.

74 papers.

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  1. 2025Model Context Protocol (MCP): Landscape, Security Threats, and Future Research Directionscited by 265
  2. 2025Agentic Large Language Models, a surveycited by 108
  3. 2025From Language to Action: A Review of Large Language Models as Autonomous Agents and Tool Userscited by 32
  4. 2025ProbGuard: Proactive Runtime Monitoring for LLM Agent Safety via Probabilistic Predictioncited by 28
  5. 2025AI Agentic Programming: A Survey of Techniques, Challenges, and Opportunitiescited by 28
  6. 2025Code2Video: A Code-centric Paradigm for Educational Video Generationcited by 27
  7. 2025Where Did It All Go Wrong? A Hierarchical Look into Multi-Agent Error Attributioncited by 27
  8. 2025AgentMisalignment: Measuring the Propensity for Misaligned Behaviour in LLM-Based Agentscited by 22
  9. 2025Beyond the Protocol: Unveiling Attack Vectors in the Model Context Protocol (MCP) Ecosystemcited by 19
  10. 2025Large language models for artificial general intelligence (AGI): A survey of foundational principles and approachescited by 18
  11. 2025MermaidFlow: Redefining Agentic Workflow Generation via Safety-Constrained Evolutionary Programmingcited by 16
  12. 2026Agent-Sentry: Bounding LLM Agents via Execution Provenancecited by 15
38 more
  1. 2026Toward Personalized LLM-Powered Agents: Foundations, Evaluation, and Future Directionscited by 14
  2. 2026The Evolution of Tool Use in LLM Agents: From Single-Tool Call to Multi-Tool Orchestrationcited by 14
  3. 2025Inherent and emergent liability issues in LLM-based agentic systems: a principal-agent perspectivecited by 13
  4. 2025Representation Potentials of Foundation Models for Multimodal Alignment: A Surveycited by 11
  5. 2024Practical Considerations for Agentic LLM Systemscited by 9
  6. 2024LLM Agents Improve Semantic Code Searchcited by 7
  7. 2024Aligning (Medical) LLMs for (Counterfactual) Fairnesscited by 7
  8. 2025iTool: Reinforced Fine-Tuning with Dynamic Deficiency Calibration for Advanced Tool Usecited by 7
  9. 2025CoMet: Metaphor-Driven Covert Communication for Multi-Agent Language Gamescited by 7
  10. 2025From Standalone LLMs to Integrated Intelligence: A Survey of Compound Al Systemscited by 6
  11. 2026Agent-Dice: Disentangling Knowledge Updates via Geometric Consensus for Agent Continual Learningcited by 6
  12. 2025GraphChain: Large Language Models for Large-scale Graph Analysis via Tool Chainingcited by 5
  13. 2026KernelCraft: Benchmarking for Agentic Close-to-Metal Kernel Generation on Emerging Hardwarecited by 5
  14. 2024A Taxonomy of Architecture Options for Foundation Model-based Agents: Analysis and Decision Modelcited by 4
  15. 2025Improving Large Language Models Function Calling and Interpretability via Guided-Structured Templatescited by 4
  16. 2026OpenSage: Self-programming Agent Generation Enginecited by 4
  17. 2026TAPE: Tool-Guided Adaptive Planning and Constrained Execution in Language Model Agentscited by 4
  18. 2026StreamingClaw Technical Reportcited by 4
  19. 2026Learning to Retrieve: Dual-Level Long-Term Memory for Text-to-SQL Agentscited by 4
  20. 2026From Atomic Actions to Standard Operating Procedures: Iterative Tool Optimization for Self-Evolving LLM Agentscited by 4
  21. 2025Distributed Multi-Agent Coordination Using Multi-Modal Foundation Modelscited by 3
  22. 2025HiVA: Self-organized Hierarchical Variable Agent via Goal-driven Semantic-Topological Evolutioncited by 3
  23. 2025Overhearing LLM Agents: A Survey, Taxonomy, and Roadmapcited by 3
  24. 2025Improving Language Agents through BREW: Bootstrapping expeRientially-learned Environmental knoWledgecited by 3
  25. 2026LAMMI-Pathology: A Tool-Centric Bottom-Up LVLM-Agent Framework for Molecularly Informed Medical Intelligence in Pathologycited by 3
  26. 2025Reinforcement Learning for Long-Horizon Multi-Turn Search Agentscited by 2
  27. 2025Coding With AI: From a Reflection on Industrial Practices to Future Computer Science and Software Engineering Educationcited by 2
  28. 2026Automotive Engineering-Centric Agentic AI Workflow Frameworkcited by 2
  29. 2026Tools as Continuous Flow for Evolving Agentic Reasoningcited by 2
  30. 2025Verifying Memoryless Sequential Decision-making of Large Language Modelscited by 1
  31. 2025EU-Agent-Bench: Measuring Illegal Behavior of LLM Agents Under EU Lawcited by 1
  32. 2026Stephanie2: Thinking, Waiting, and Making Decisions Like Humans in Step-by-Step AI Social Chatcited by 1
  33. 2026Agentic AI in Healthcare & Medicine: A Seven-Dimensional Taxonomy for Empirical Evaluation of LLM-based Agentscited by 1
  34. 2026LLM-Assisted Replication for Quantitative Social Sciencecited by 1
  35. 2026MCP-in-SoS: Risk assessment framework for open-source MCP serverscited by 1
  36. 2026GAIN: A Benchmark for Goal-Aligned Decision-Making of Large Language Models under Imperfect Normscited by 1
  37. 2026AMATA: Adaptive Multi-Agent Trajectory Alignment for Knowledge-Intensive Question Answeringcited by 1
  38. 2026Atomic Task Graph: A Unified Framework for Agentic Planning and Executioncited by 1

50 most cited of 74 All 74 (JSON)

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  2. 2024Designing Algorithms Empowered by Language Models: An Analytical Framework, Case Studies, and Insights
  3. 2024Large Language Model-Based Agents for Software Engineering: A Survey
  4. 2025Large Language Model Agent: A Survey on Methodology, Applications and Challenges
  5. 2024A Survey on LLM-based Multi-Agent System: Recent Advances and New Frontiers in Application
  6. 2024A Survey on the Memory Mechanism of Large Language Model based Agents
  7. 2026LLM-Based Multi-Agent Systems for Code Generation: A Multi-Vocal Literature Review
  8. 2025LLMs Working in Harmony: A Survey on the Technological Aspects of Building Effective LLM-Based Multi Agent Systems