Solving Formal Math Problems by Decomposition and Iterative Reflection

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Zhou, Yichi, Zhao, Jianqiu, Zhang, Yongxin, Wang, Bohan, Wang, Siran, Chen, Luoxin, Wang, Jiahui, Chen, Haowei, Jie, Allan, Zhang, Xinbo, Wang, Haocheng, Trung, Luong, Ye, Rong, Hoang, Phan Nhat, Zhang, Huishuai, Sun, Peng, Li, Hang
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Published: 2025
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_version_ 1866909712062087168
author Zhou, Yichi
Zhao, Jianqiu
Zhang, Yongxin
Wang, Bohan
Wang, Siran
Chen, Luoxin
Wang, Jiahui
Chen, Haowei
Jie, Allan
Zhang, Xinbo
Wang, Haocheng
Trung, Luong
Ye, Rong
Hoang, Phan Nhat
Zhang, Huishuai
Sun, Peng
Li, Hang
author_facet Zhou, Yichi
Zhao, Jianqiu
Zhang, Yongxin
Wang, Bohan
Wang, Siran
Chen, Luoxin
Wang, Jiahui
Chen, Haowei
Jie, Allan
Zhang, Xinbo
Wang, Haocheng
Trung, Luong
Ye, Rong
Hoang, Phan Nhat
Zhang, Huishuai
Sun, Peng
Li, Hang
contents General-purpose Large Language Models (LLMs) have achieved remarkable success in intelligence, performing comparably to human experts on complex reasoning tasks such as coding and mathematical reasoning. However, generating formal proofs in specialized languages like Lean 4 remains a significant challenge for these models, limiting their application in complex theorem proving and automated verification. Current approaches typically require specializing models through fine-tuning on dedicated formal corpora, incurring high costs for data collection and training. In this work, we introduce \textbf{Delta Prover}, an agent-based framework that orchestrates the interaction between a general-purpose LLM and the Lean 4 proof environment. Delta Prover leverages the reflection and reasoning capabilities of general-purpose LLMs to interactively construct formal proofs in Lean 4, circumventing the need for model specialization. At its core, the agent integrates two novel, interdependent components: an algorithmic framework for reflective decomposition and iterative proof repair, and a custom Domain-Specific Language (DSL) built upon Lean 4 for streamlined subproblem management. \textbf{Delta Prover achieves a state-of-the-art 95.9\% success rate on the miniF2F-test benchmark, surpassing all existing approaches, including those requiring model specialization.} Furthermore, Delta Prover exhibits a significantly stronger test-time scaling law compared to standard Best-of-N proof strategies. Crucially, our findings demonstrate that general-purpose LLMs, when guided by an effective agentic structure, possess substantial untapped theorem-proving capabilities. This presents a computationally efficient alternative to specialized models for robust automated reasoning in formal environments.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_15225
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Solving Formal Math Problems by Decomposition and Iterative Reflection
Zhou, Yichi
Zhao, Jianqiu
Zhang, Yongxin
Wang, Bohan
Wang, Siran
Chen, Luoxin
Wang, Jiahui
Chen, Haowei
Jie, Allan
Zhang, Xinbo
Wang, Haocheng
Trung, Luong
Ye, Rong
Hoang, Phan Nhat
Zhang, Huishuai
Sun, Peng
Li, Hang
Artificial Intelligence
Machine Learning
Logic in Computer Science
General-purpose Large Language Models (LLMs) have achieved remarkable success in intelligence, performing comparably to human experts on complex reasoning tasks such as coding and mathematical reasoning. However, generating formal proofs in specialized languages like Lean 4 remains a significant challenge for these models, limiting their application in complex theorem proving and automated verification. Current approaches typically require specializing models through fine-tuning on dedicated formal corpora, incurring high costs for data collection and training. In this work, we introduce \textbf{Delta Prover}, an agent-based framework that orchestrates the interaction between a general-purpose LLM and the Lean 4 proof environment. Delta Prover leverages the reflection and reasoning capabilities of general-purpose LLMs to interactively construct formal proofs in Lean 4, circumventing the need for model specialization. At its core, the agent integrates two novel, interdependent components: an algorithmic framework for reflective decomposition and iterative proof repair, and a custom Domain-Specific Language (DSL) built upon Lean 4 for streamlined subproblem management. \textbf{Delta Prover achieves a state-of-the-art 95.9\% success rate on the miniF2F-test benchmark, surpassing all existing approaches, including those requiring model specialization.} Furthermore, Delta Prover exhibits a significantly stronger test-time scaling law compared to standard Best-of-N proof strategies. Crucially, our findings demonstrate that general-purpose LLMs, when guided by an effective agentic structure, possess substantial untapped theorem-proving capabilities. This presents a computationally efficient alternative to specialized models for robust automated reasoning in formal environments.
title Solving Formal Math Problems by Decomposition and Iterative Reflection
topic Artificial Intelligence
Machine Learning
Logic in Computer Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.15225