In plain words: Treating a network's weights as a cloud of points that training reshapes, this theory shows built-in symmetries split the motion into independent pieces and shrink its freedom. Weights then settle into rule-following, combinable structures, and the theory predicts the data needed for symbolic tasks.
Abstract · Why Neural Network Can Discover Symbolic Structures with Gradient-based Training: An Algebraic and Geometric Foundation for Neurosymbolic Reasoning
We develop a theoretical framework that explains how discrete symbolic structures can emerge naturally from continuous neural network training dynamics. By lifting neural parameters to a measure space and modeling training as Wasserstein gradient flow, we show that under geometric constraints, such as group invariance, the parameter measure $μ_t$ undergoes two concurrent phenomena: (1) a decoupling of the gradient flow into independent optimization trajectories over some potential functions, and (2) a progressive contraction on the degree of freedom. These potentials encode algebraic constraints relevant to the task and act as ring homomorphisms under a commutative semi-ring structure on the measure space. As training progresses, the network transitions from a high-dimensional exploration to compositional representations that comply with algebraic operations and exhibit a lower degree of freedom. We further establish data scaling laws for realizing symbolic tasks, linking representational capacity to the group invariance that facilitates symbolic solutions. This framework charts a principled foundation for understanding and designing neurosymbolic systems that integrate continuous learning with discrete algebraic reasoning.
Peihao Wang, Zhangyang Wang
arXiv:2506.21797 · cs.LG · submitted Jun 26, 2025 · updated Jul 1, 2025
abstract · pdf · html · International Conference on Neuro-symbolic Systems (NeuS), 2025