The Impossibility Triangle of Long-Context Modeling
Quick summary
arXiv:2605.05066v2 Announce Type: replace-cross Abstract: We identify and prove a fundamental trade-off governing long-sequence models: no model can simultaneously achieve (i) per-step computation independent of sequence length (Efficiency), (ii) state size independent of sequence length (Compactness), and (iii) the ability to recall a number of historical facts proportional to sequence length (Recall). We formalize this trade-off within an Online Sequence Processor abstraction that unifies Transformers, state space models, linear recurrent networks, and their hybrids. Using the Data Processin
Key takeaways
- arXiv:2605.05066v2 Announce Type: replace-cross Abstract: We identify and prove a fundamental trade-off governing long-sequence models: no model can simultaneously achieve (i) per-step computation independent of sequence length (Efficiency), (ii) state size independent of sequence length (Compactness), and (iii) the ability to recall a number of historical facts proportional to sequence length (Recall).
- We formalize this trade-off within an Online Sequence Processor abstraction that unifies Transformers, state space models, linear recurrent networks, and their hybrids.
Why it matters
“The Impossibility Triangle of Long-Context Modeling” should be evaluated beyond branding and benchmark scores. Its practical importance will emerge in task accuracy, latency, unit cost, safety and integration with real workflows.

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