mlsanityData to 7 Oct 2026

SQL-R1: Training Natural Language to SQL Reasoning Model By Reinforcement Learning

arXiv 2504.08600 ↗First posted 11 Apr 2025cs.DBcited by 67

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Cited by 21 in LLM reasoning, but placed by its own abstract, which didn’t fit.

Abstract (arXiv)

Natural Language to SQL (NL2SQL) enables intuitive interactions with databases by transforming natural language queries into structured SQL statements. Despite recent advancements in enhancing human-computer interaction within database applications, significant challenges persist, particularly regarding the reasoning performance in complex scenarios involving multi-table joins and nested queries. Current methodologies primarily utilize supervised fine-tuning~(SFT) to train the NL2SQL model, which may limit adaptability and interpretability in new environments~(e.g., finance and healthcare). In order to enhance the reasoning performance of the NL2SQL model in the above complex situations, we introduce SQL-R1, a novel NL2SQL reasoning model trained by the reinforcement learning~(RL) algorithms. We design a specialized RL-based reward function tailored for NL2SQL tasks and discussed the impact of cold start and synthetic data on the effectiveness of intensive training. In addition, we achieve competitive accuracy using only a tiny amount of synthetic NL2SQL data for augmented training and further explore data engineering for RL. In existing experiments, SQL-R1 achieves execution accuracy of 88.6% and 67.1% on the benchmark Spider and BIRD, respectively. The code is available at https://github.com/IDEA-FinAI/SQL-R1 .

Key facts. Cited by 67 papers in the map (data through 7 Oct 2026). First posted on arXiv 11 Apr 2025.

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Cited by year (2026 to 7 Oct)

Citing papers per year: 2025: 36; 2026: 31.

67 papers.

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  1. 2025Nemotron-Research-Tool-N1: Exploring Tool-Using Language Models with Reinforced Reasoningcited by 67
  2. 2025Graph-R1: Towards Agentic GraphRAG Framework via End-to-end Reinforcement Learningcited by 50
  3. 2025Arctic-Text2SQL-R1: Simple Rewards, Strong Reasoning in Text-to-SQLcited by 38
  4. 2025Reward-SQL: Boosting Text-to-SQL via Stepwise Execution-Aware Reasoning and Process-Supervised Rewardscited by 25
  5. 2025Adaptation of Agentic AI: A Survey of Post-Training, Memory, and Skillscited by 19
  6. 2025Reasoning-Table: Exploring Reinforcement Learning for Table Reasoningcited by 18
  7. 2025CSC-SQL: Corrective Self-Consistency in Text-to-SQL via Reinforcement Learningcited by 15
  8. 2025AutoLink: Autonomous Schema Exploration and Expansion for Scalable Schema Linking in Text-to-SQL at Scalecited by 15
  9. 2025Sailing by the Stars: A Survey on Reward Models and Learning Strategies for Learning from Rewardscited by 14
  10. 2025ReCode: Updating Code API Knowledge with Reinforcement Learningcited by 11
  11. 2025Scaling Generalist Data-Analytic Agentscited by 11
  12. 2026Abstain-R1: Calibrated Abstention and Post-Refusal Clarification via Verifiable RLcited by 11
38 more
  1. 2025SQLens: An End-to-End Framework for Error Detection and Correction in Text-to-SQLcited by 10
  2. 2025SLM-SQL: An Exploration of Small Language Models for Text-to-SQLcited by 10
  3. 2025MTIR-SQL: Multi-turn Tool-Integrated Reasoning Reinforcement Learning for Text-to-SQLcited by 10
  4. 2025Sparks of Tabular Reasoning via Text2SQL Reinforcement Learningcited by 9
  5. 2025Graph-Reward-SQL: Execution-Free Reinforcement Learning for Text-to-SQL via Graph Matching and Stepwise Rewardcited by 7
  6. 2025WorkForceAgent-R1: Incentivizing Reasoning Capability in LLM-based Web Agents via Reinforcement Learningcited by 7
  7. 2026SQL-Trail: Multi-Turn Reinforcement Learning with Interleaved Feedback for Text-to-SQLcited by 7
  8. 2025STRuCT-LLM: Unifying Tabular and Graph Reasoning with Reinforcement Learning for Semantic Parsingcited by 5
  9. 2025MTSQL-R1: Towards Long-Horizon Multi-Turn Text-to-SQL via Agentic Trainingcited by 5
  10. 2025BiomedSQL: Text-to-SQL for Scientific Reasoning on Biomedical Knowledge Basescited by 4
  11. 2025Agent Bain vs. Agent McKinsey: A New Text-to-SQL Benchmark for the Business Domaincited by 3
  12. 2026SQL-ASTRA: Alleviating Sparse Feedback in Agentic SQL via Column-Set Matching and Trajectory Aggregationcited by 3
  13. 2026Closing the Reflection Gap: A Free Calibration Bonus for Agentic RLcited by 3
  14. 2025Reasoning Like an Economist: Post-Training on Economic Problems Induces Strategic Generalization in LLMscited by 2
  15. 2025Toward Real-World Table Agents: Capabilities, Workflows, and Design Principles for LLM-based Table Intelligencecited by 2
  16. 2025PaVeRL-SQL: Text-to-SQL via Partial-Match Rewards and Verbal Reinforcement Learningcited by 2
  17. 2025Learning to Refine: An Agentic RL Approach for Iterative SPARQL Query Constructioncited by 2
  18. 2025Beyond Query-Level Comparison: Fine-Grained Reinforcement Learning for Text-to-SQL with Automated Interpretable Critiquescited by 2
  19. 2025Cost Trade-offs of Reasoning and Non-Reasoning Large Language Models in Text-to-SQLcited by 2
  20. 2026Minerva: Reinforcement Learning with Verifiable Rewards for Cyber Threat Intelligence LLMscited by 2
  21. 2026TRUST-SQL: Tool-Integrated Multi-Turn Reinforcement Learning for Text-to-SQL over Unknown Schemascited by 2
  22. 2025Schema-R1: A reasoning training approach for schema linking in Text-to-SQL Taskcited by 1
  23. 2025Effective Learning for Small Reasoning Models: An Empirical Study on 0.5B Reasoning LLMscited by 1
  24. 2025Augmenting Continual Learning of Diseases with LLM-Generated Visual Conceptscited by 1
  25. 2025Omne-R1: Learning to Reason with Memory for Multi-hop Question Answeringcited by 1
  26. 2025Towards Secure and Explainable Smart Contract Generation with Security-Aware Group Relative Policy Optimizationcited by 1
  27. 2025HES-SQL: Hybrid Reasoning for Efficient Text-to-SQL with Structural Skeleton Guidancecited by 1
  28. 2025Rethinking Text-to-SQL: Dynamic Multi-turn SQL Interaction for Real-world Database Explorationcited by 1
  29. 2025Interaction as Intelligence Part II: Asynchronous Human-Agent Rollout for Long-Horizon Task Trainingcited by 1
  30. 2026Beyond Static Pipelines: Learning Dynamic Workflows for Text-to-SQLcited by 1
  31. 2026ErrorLLM: Modeling SQL Errors for Text-to-SQL Refinementcited by 1
  32. 2026SQLStructEval: Structural Evaluation of LLM Text-to-SQL Generationcited by 1
  33. 2026FD-NL2SQL: Feedback-Driven Clinical NL2SQL that Improves with Usecited by 1
  34. 2026Every Step Counts: Step-Level Credit Assignment for Tool-Integrated Text-to-SQLcited by 1
  35. 2026Progress-SQL: Improving Reinforcement Learning for Text-to-SQL via Progressive Rewardscited by 1
  36. 2026EXPO-SQL: Execution-based Clause-level Policy Optimization for Text-to-SQLcited by 1
  37. 2026BAP-SQL: Budget-Aware Observation Planning for Agentic Text-to-SQLcited by 1
  38. 2026Towards general embodied intelligence: integrating large language models, knowledge bases, and reasoning capabilities to build the next generation of AI agentscited by 1

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