Language-Conditioned Token and Reasoning Efficiency in Large Language Models: A Paired Cross-Lingual Study Protocol

Genliang Zhu, Chu Wang

Large language models incur language-dependent representation and inference costs, but existing comparisons often conflate input language, assigned observable-trace language, and answer realization. We specify a prospective paired study that separates these interfaces while holding the semantic item, checkpoint, and answer oracle fixed. The initial design instantiates 240 exactly scored items rendered from templates in English and seven non-English languages, three distinct-lineage open-weight checkpoints, three trace-token budgets, 22 input- and trace-language conditions, a fixed answer reserve, and a separately counted delimiter: 47,520 initial core runs before prospective sample-size selection. RQ1-RQ3 estimate input and trace effects by intention-to-treat with failure-inclusive terminal accounting and test answer realization by cloning a sealed prefix and runtime-native KV state into eight crossed branches. Pre-freeze independent language review, fixed-form ASCII selectors, and code/surface/solver agreement constrain the realization test. H1-H5 share one Holm family and a global simultaneous component band. A secondary randomized experiment compares one-long-attempt and…