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How far can small reasoning models go in math?
Phi-4-Mini-Reasoning: Exploring the Limits of Small Reasoning Language Models in Math
Published: 12 May 2026 · Updated: 13 July 2026
Read the original sourceWhat the paper says
The authors test a small LLM on various math tasks and show that with careful fine-tuning and RL, the model can solve problems previously only solved by larger models.
The Critique
The evaluation tasks are limited to arithmetic and high-school algebra. The paper does not test proof generation or higher-level mathematics.
Why It Matters
Understanding the limits of small models helps allocate resources and may make reasoning more accessible.
What They Missed
There is no analysis of how the model handles ambiguous or multi-step problems.
The Big Question
What are the theoretical and practical limits of small reasoning models in mathematics and beyond?