# Time-Scaling Is What Agents Need Now

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.02714 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.02714/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Placed in Prompting and chain-of-thought reasoning, one of 17 directions in LLM reasoning.
- Builds on 1 of its 31 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 6 Jan 2026.

## Placed in

- LLM reasoning / [Prompting and chain-of-thought reasoning](https://mlsanity.com/lr/prompting-and-chain-of-thought-reasoning/)
- LLM agents and tool use / [General LLM agent frameworks and benchmarks](https://mlsanity.com/agents/general-llm-agent-frameworks-and-benchmarks/)

## Builds on (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [Chain-of-Thought Prompting Elicits Reasoning in Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.11903/) (2022)

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [CRE-T1 Preview Technical Report: Beyond Contrastive Learning for Reasoning-Intensive Retrieval](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.17387/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Early artificial intelligence paradigms exhibited separated cognitive functions: Neural Networks focused on "perception-representation," Reinforcement Learning on "decision-making-behavior," and Symbolic AI on "knowledge-reasoning." With Transformer-based large models and world models, these paradigms are converging into cognitive agents with closed-loop "perception-decision-action" capabilities. Humans solve complex problems under limited cognitive resources through temporalized sequential reasoning. Language relies on problem space search for deep semantic reasoning. While early large language models (LLMs) could generate fluent text, they lacked robust semantic reasoning capabilities. Prompting techniques like Chain-of-Thought (CoT) and Tree-of-Thought (ToT) extended reasoning paths by making intermediate steps explicit. Recent models like DeepSeek-R1 enhanced performance through explicit reasoning trajectories. However, these methods have limitations in search completeness and efficiency. This highlights the need for "Time-Scaling"--the systematic extension and optimization of an agent's ability to unfold reasoning over time. Time-Scaling refers to architectural design utilizing extended temporal pathways, enabling deeper problem space exploration, dynamic strategy adjustment, and enhanced metacognitive control, paralleling human sequential reasoning under cognitive constraints. It represents a critical frontier for enhancing deep reasoning and problem-solving without proportional increases in static model parameters. Advancing intelligent agent capabilities requires placing Time-Scaling principles at the forefront, positioning explicit temporal reasoning management as foundational.