Choosing the Right Format: How Knowledge Graph Layouts Impact AI Reasoning
Choosing the Right Format: How Knowledge Graph Layouts Impact AI Reasoning ...
👉 Why This Matters
Most AI systems blend knowledge graphs (structured data) with large language models (flexible reasoning). But there’s a hidden variable: "how" you translate the graph into text for the AI. Researchers discovered that the formatting choice alone can swing performance by up to "17.5%" on reasoning tasks. Imagine solving 1 in 5 more problems correctly just by adjusting how you present data.
👉 What They Built
KG-LLM-Bench is a new benchmark to test how language models reason with knowledge graphs.
It includes five tasks:
- Triple verification (“Does this fact exist?”)
- Shortest path finding (“How are two concepts connected?”)
- Aggregation (“How many entities meet X condition?”)
- Multi-hop reasoning (“Which entities linked to A also have property B?”)
- Global analysis (“Which node is most central?”)
The team tested seven models (Claude, GPT-4o, Gemini, Llama, Nova) with five ways to “textualize” graphs, from simple edge lists to structured JSON and semantic web formats like RDF Turtle.
👉 Key Insights
1. Format matters more than assumed:
- Structured JSON and edge lists performed best overall, but results varied by task.
- For example, JSON excels at aggregation tasks (data is grouped by entity), while edge lists help identify central nodes (repeated mentions highlight connections).
2. Models don’t cheat:
Replacing real entity names with fake ones (e.g., “France” → “Verdania”) caused only a 0.2% performance drop, proving models rely on context, not memorized knowledge.
3. Token efficiency:
- Edge lists used ~2,600 tokens vs. JSON-LD’s ~13,500. Shorter formats free up context space for complex reasoning.
- But concise ≠ always better: structured formats improved accuracy for tasks requiring grouped data.
4. Models struggle with directionality:
Counting outgoing edges (e.g., “Which countries does France border?”) is easier than incoming ones (“Which countries border France?”), likely due to formatting biases.
👉 Practical Takeaways
- Optimize for your task: Use JSON for aggregation, edge lists for centrality.
- Test your model: The best format depends on the LLM—Claude thrived with RDF Turtle, while Gemini preferred edge lists.
- Don’t fear pseudonyms: Masking real names minimally impacts performance, useful for sensitive data.
The benchmark is openly available, inviting researchers to add new tasks, graphs, and models. As AI handles larger knowledge bases, choosing the right “data language” becomes as critical as the reasoning logic itself.
Paper: [KG-LLM-Bench: A Scalable Benchmark for Evaluating LLM Reasoning on Textualized Knowledge Graphs]
Authors: Elan Markowitz, Krupa Galiya, Greg Ver Steeg, Aram Galstyan
Choosing the Right Format: How Knowledge Graph Layouts Impact AI Reasoning
