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[2412.04272] PoTable: Towards Systematic Thinking via Plan-then-Execute Stage Reasoning on Tables
Summary
The paper presents PoTable, a novel approach to table reasoning that integrates systematic thinking through a plan-then-execute mechanism, enhancing accuracy and explainability in data analysis.
Why It Matters
As table reasoning becomes increasingly important in AI applications, PoTable addresses significant gaps in existing methodologies by emphasizing systematic thinking. This can lead to more reliable outcomes in complex scenarios, making it relevant for researchers and practitioners in AI, especially those working with LLMs and data analysis.
Key Takeaways
- PoTable introduces a structured approach to table reasoning, enhancing systematic thinking.
- The plan-then-execute mechanism allows for clearer objectives and sequential execution.
- Extensive experiments validate PoTable's effectiveness and explainability over existing methods.
- The approach mirrors professional data analysis workflows, improving accuracy.
- Code availability promotes further research and application in the field.
Computer Science > Information Retrieval arXiv:2412.04272 (cs) [Submitted on 5 Dec 2024 (v1), last revised 23 Feb 2026 (this version, v4)] Title:PoTable: Towards Systematic Thinking via Plan-then-Execute Stage Reasoning on Tables Authors:Qingyang Mao, Qi Liu, Zhi Li, Mingyue Cheng, Zheng Zhang, Rui Li View a PDF of the paper titled PoTable: Towards Systematic Thinking via Plan-then-Execute Stage Reasoning on Tables, by Qingyang Mao and 5 other authors View PDF HTML (experimental) Abstract:In recent years, table reasoning has garnered substantial research interest, particularly regarding its integration with Large Language Models (LLMs), which have revolutionized natural language applications. Existing LLM-based studies typically achieve step-by-step thinking for table reasoning guided by task semantics. While these approaches emphasize autonomous exploration and enhance fine-grained table understanding, they often overlook systematic thinking in the reasoning process. This oversight can lead to omitted steps, disorganized logic and misleading results, especially in complex scenarios. In this paper, we propose PoTable, a novel stage-oriented plan-then-execute approach that incorporates systematic thinking into table reasoning. Specifically, PoTable involves several distinct analytical stages with clear objectives to provide adequate guidance. To accomplish stage-specific goals, PoTable employs a plan-then-execute mechanism: it first plans the operation chain based on the st...