mlsanityData to 14 Oct 2026

RelAgent: LLM Agents as Data Scientists for Relational Learning

arXiv 2605.07840 ↗First posted 8 May 2026cs.LGcited by 2

On the map: LLM agents and tool use → Web, search, and research agents

Abstract (arXiv)

Relational learning is a challenging problem that has motivated a wide range of approaches, including graph-based models (e.g., graph neural networks, graph transformers), tabular methods (e.g., tabular foundation models), and sequence-based approaches (e.g., large language models), each with its own advantages and limitations. We propose RelAgent, an LLM-based autonomous data scientist for relational learning, which operates in two phases. In the search phase, an LLM agent uses database, validation, and evaluation workspace tools to construct SQL feature programs and select a predictive model. In the inference phase, the resulting program is executed without further LLM calls. The final predictor consists of SQL queries and a classical model, enabling fast, deterministic, and intrinsically interpretable predictions: features are human-readable queries, and predictions depend only on the resulting query-defined feature map, enabling scalable deployment using standard database systems.

Key facts. Cited by 2 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026). Placed in Web, search, and research agents, one of 16 directions in LLM agents and tool use. Builds on 46 of its 57 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 8 May 2026.

Builds on

46 of 57 references.

Closest ancestors · 1

Same direction, newest first

  1. 2026ReFuGe: Feature Generation for Prediction Tasks on Relational Databases with LLM Agents25 Jan

Other references · 45

  1. 2017Graph Attention Networkscited by 8,923
  2. 2025Qwen3 Technical Reportcited by 8,820
  3. 2022ReAct: Synergizing Reasoning and Acting in Language Modelscited by 8,695
  4. 2017Inductive Representation Learning on Large Graphscited by 6,320
  5. 2016XGBoost: A Scalable Tree Boosting Systemcited by 5,166
  6. 2023Reflexion: Language Agents with Verbal Reinforcement Learningcited by 4,276
  7. 2023Toolformer: Language Models Can Teach Themselves to Use Toolscited by 4,182
  8. 2023CAMEL: Communicative Agents for "Mind" Exploration of Large Language Model Societycited by 1,395
  9. 2026DeepSeek-V4: Towards Highly Efficient Million-Token Context Intelligencecited by 1,040
  10. 2020Heterogeneous Graph Transformercited by 582
  11. 2023Plan-and-Solve Prompting: Improving Zero-Shot Chain-of-Thought Reasoning by Large Language Modelscited by 560
  12. 2020Principal Neighbourhood Aggregation for Graph Netscited by 478
33 more
  1. 2023DIN-SQL: Decomposed In-Context Learning of Text-to-SQL with Self-Correctioncited by 477
  2. 2020TaBERT: Pretraining for Joint Understanding of Textual and Tabular Datacited by 398
  3. 2020AutoGluon-Tabular: Robust and Accurate AutoML for Structured Datacited by 383
  4. 2022TabLLM: Few-shot Classification of Tabular Data with Large Language Modelscited by 277
  5. 2021TAPEX: Table Pre-training via Learning a Neural SQL Executorcited by 235
  6. 2023GraphGPT: Graph Instruction Tuning for Large Language Modelscited by 226
  7. 2023Language is All a Graph Needscited by 220
  8. 2024LLaGA: Large Language and Graph Assistantcited by 181
  9. 2023Talk like a Graph: Encoding Graphs for Large Language Modelscited by 176
  10. 2023Large Language Models for Automated Data Science: Introducing CAAFE for Context-Aware Automated Feature Engineeringcited by 127
  11. 2024Let Your Graph Do the Talking: Encoding Structured Data for LLMscited by 118
  12. 2024RelBench: A Benchmark for Deep Learning on Relational Databasescited by 96
  13. 2023Towards Foundation Models for Knowledge Graph Reasoningcited by 86
  14. 2024Large Language Models Can Automatically Engineer Features for Few-Shot Tabular Learningcited by 81
  15. 2024Optimized Feature Generation for Tabular Data via LLMs with Decision Tree Reasoningcited by 49
  16. 2025RelGNN: Composite Message Passing for Relational Deep Learningcited by 48
  17. 2025Griffin: Towards a Graph-Centric Relational Database Foundation Modelcited by 47
  18. 2025Relational Transformer: Toward Zero-Shot Foundation Models for Relational Datacited by 39
  19. 2025LLM-FE: Automated Feature Engineering for Tabular Data with LLMs as Evolutionary Optimizerscited by 38
  20. 2025Relational Graph Transformercited by 34
  21. 2025TRIX: A More Expressive Model for Zero-shot Domain Transfer in Knowledge Graphscited by 24
  22. 2025Large Language Models are Good Relational Learnerscited by 24
  23. 2025How Expressive are Knowledge Graph Foundation Models?cited by 23
  24. 2025GraphICL: Unlocking Graph Learning Potential in LLMs through Structured Prompt Designcited by 21
  25. 2026RelBench v2: A Large-Scale Benchmark and Repository for Relational Datacited by 20
  26. 2026KumoRFM-2: Scaling Foundation Models for Relational Learningcited by 19
  27. 2015DART: Dropouts meet Multiple Additive Regression Treescited by 15
  28. 2024Tackling prediction tasks in relational databases with LLMscited by 14
  29. 2024GraphTool-Instruction: Revolutionizing Graph Reasoning in LLMs through Decomposed Subtask Instructioncited by 14
  30. 2026No Need to Train Your RDB Foundation Modelcited by 10
  31. 2025Flock: A Knowledge Graph Foundation Model via Learning on Random Walkscited by 9
  32. 2025HYPER: A Foundation Model for Inductive Link Prediction with Knowledge Hypergraphscited by 7
  33. 2025Actions Speak Louder than Prompts: A Large-Scale Study of LLMs for Graph Inferencecited by 5

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Cited by year (2026 to 14 Oct)

Citing papers per year: 2026: 2.

2 papers.

Similar, not cited

Close in wording, no citation either way

  1. 2024Data Interpreter: An LLM Agent For Data Science
  2. 2026Evaluating Relational Reasoning in LLMs with REL
  3. 2025Toward Real-World Table Agents: Capabilities, Workflows, and Design Principles for LLM-based Table Intelligence
  4. 2025AutoMind: Adaptive Knowledgeable Agent for Automated Data Science
  5. 2025Large Language Model-based Data Science Agent: A Survey
  6. 2025LLM-Based Data Science Agents: A Survey of Capabilities, Challenges, and Future Directions
  7. 2024A Survey on Large Language Model-based Agents for Statistics and Data Science
  8. 2026Memory-Augmented LLM-based Multi-Agent System for Automated Feature Generation on Tabular Data