Don't Overthink It: A Survey of Efficient R1-style Large Reasoning
  Models
Authors: name: Linan Yue; name: Yichao Du; name: Yizhi Wang; name: Weibo Gao; name: Fangzhou Yao; name: Li Wang; name: Ye Liu; name: Ziyu Xu; name: Qi Liu; name: Shimin Di; name: Min-Ling Zhang
Published: 2025-08-04 06:54:31

Abstract: Recently, Large Reasoning Models (LRMs) have gradually become a research
hotspot due to their outstanding performance in handling complex tasks. Among
them, DeepSeek R1 has garnered significant attention for its exceptional
performance and open-source nature, driving advancements in the research of
R1-style LRMs. Unlike traditional Large Language Models (LLMs), these models
enhance logical deduction and decision-making capabilities during reasoning by
incorporating mechanisms such as long chain-of-thought and self-reflection
through reinforcement learning. However, with the widespread application of
these models, the problem of overthinking has gradually emerged. Specifically,
when generating answers, these models often construct excessively long
reasoning chains with redundant or repetitive steps, which leads to reduced
reasoning efficiency and may affect the accuracy of the final answer. To this
end, various efficient reasoning methods have been proposed, aiming to reduce
the length of reasoning paths without compromising model performance and
reasoning capability. By reviewing the current research advancements in the
field of efficient reasoning methods systematically, we categorize existing
works into two main directions based on the lens of single-model optimization
versus model collaboration: (1) Efficient Reasoning with Single Model, which
focuses on improving the reasoning efficiency of individual models; and (2)
Efficient Reasoning with Model Collaboration, which explores optimizing
reasoning paths through collaboration among multiple models. Besides, we
maintain a public GitHub repository that tracks the latest progress in
efficient reasoning methods.