Title: SPhyR: Spatial-Physical Reasoning Benchmark on Material Distribution
Primary area: datasets and benchmarks
Keywords: topology optimization, large language models, physical reasoning, spatial reasoning, structural stability, material distribution, benchmarking

Abstract: We introduce a novel dataset designed to benchmark the physical and spatial reasoning capabilities of Large Language Models (LLM) based on topology optimization, a method for computing optimal material distributions within a design space under prescribed loads and supports. In this dataset, LLMs are provided with conditions such as 2D boundary, applied forces and supports, and must reason about the resulting optimal material distribution. The dataset includes a variety of tasks, ranging from filling in masked regions within partial structures to predicting complete material distributions. Solving these tasks requires understanding the flow of forces and the required material distribution under given constraints, without access to simulation tools or explicit physical models, challenging models to reason about structural stability and spatial organization. Our dataset targets the evaluation of spatial and physical reasoning abilities in 2D settings, offering a complementary perspective to traditional language and logic benchmarks.

TL;DR: A new dataset tests LLMs’ physical and spatial reasoning by predicting 2D topology-optimized material distributions under given forces and supports,challenging structural stability understanding without simulation tools.