Literature Review Agent
Ar9av/PaperOrchestra
Step 3 of the PaperOrchestra pipeline (arXiv:2604.05018). An agent skill from Ar9av/PaperOrchestra.
Quick single-paper lookup via AlphaXiv LLM-optimized summaries with tiered source fallback.
Install Alphaxiv
$ npx skills add AI4Scientist/nano-scientist --skill alphaxiv -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install AI4Scientist/nano-scientist alphaxiv --agent claude-codeProject scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/AI4Scientist/nano-scientist.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/alphaxiv .claude/skills/alphaxiv && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.
Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/
Install the "alphaxiv" agent skill from https://github.com/AI4Scientist/nano-scientist/tree/main/skills/alphaxiv into .claude/skills/alphaxiv/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "alphaxiv", then confirm the skill loads.Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$skill-installer install https://github.com/AI4Scientist/nano-scientist/tree/main/skills/alphaxivType this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.
$ npx skills add AI4Scientist/nano-scientist --skill alphaxiv -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install AI4Scientist/nano-scientist alphaxiv --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/AI4Scientist/nano-scientist.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/alphaxiv .agents/skills/alphaxiv && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "alphaxiv" agent skill from https://github.com/AI4Scientist/nano-scientist/tree/main/skills/alphaxiv into .agents/skills/alphaxiv/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "alphaxiv", then confirm the skill loads.Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add AI4Scientist/nano-scientist --skill alphaxiv -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install AI4Scientist/nano-scientist alphaxiv --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/AI4Scientist/nano-scientist.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/alphaxiv .cursor/skills/alphaxiv && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.
Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/
Install the "alphaxiv" agent skill from https://github.com/AI4Scientist/nano-scientist/tree/main/skills/alphaxiv into .cursor/skills/alphaxiv/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "alphaxiv", then confirm the skill loads.Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gemini skills install https://github.com/AI4Scientist/nano-scientist.git --path skills/alphaxiv--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.
$ npx skills add AI4Scientist/nano-scientist --skill alphaxiv -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install AI4Scientist/nano-scientist alphaxiv --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/AI4Scientist/nano-scientist.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/alphaxiv .gemini/skills/alphaxiv && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.
Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "alphaxiv" agent skill from https://github.com/AI4Scientist/nano-scientist/tree/main/skills/alphaxiv into .gemini/skills/alphaxiv/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "alphaxiv", then confirm the skill loads.Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gh skill install AI4Scientist/nano-scientist alphaxivInstalls for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ npx skills add AI4Scientist/nano-scientist --skill alphaxiv -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/AI4Scientist/nano-scientist.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/alphaxiv .github/skills/alphaxiv && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.
GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "alphaxiv" agent skill from https://github.com/AI4Scientist/nano-scientist/tree/main/skills/alphaxiv into .github/skills/alphaxiv/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "alphaxiv", then confirm the skill loads.GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add AI4Scientist/nano-scientist --skill alphaxiv -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install AI4Scientist/nano-scientist alphaxiv --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/AI4Scientist/nano-scientist.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/alphaxiv .opencode/skills/alphaxiv && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.
OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "alphaxiv" agent skill from https://github.com/AI4Scientist/nano-scientist/tree/main/skills/alphaxiv into .opencode/skills/alphaxiv/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "alphaxiv", then confirm the skill loads.OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
Facts
- Skill name
alphaxiv- GitHub stars
- 128
- Used in
- 2 other repos
- Token cost
- ~2k tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 741 words
- Files
- 1
- Skills in repo
- 74
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- None found
At a glance
Quick single-paper lookup via AlphaXiv LLM-optimized summaries with tiered source fallback.
- Works in 5 steps: Parse Arguments & Extract Paper ID → Fetch AlphaXiv Overview (Tier 1 — Fastest) → Fetch Full AlphaXiv Markdown (Tier 2 —… → …
- User says explain this paper
- SKILL.md covers Role & Positioning, Constants, Workflow and Update Research Wiki (if active), plus 2 more sections
- Calls python3 and git; reaches alphaxiv.org and arxiv.org
What it does
Alphaxiv is an agent skill from AI4Scientist/nano-scientist. Quick single-paper lookup via AlphaXiv LLM-optimized summaries with tiered source fallback. Use when user says "explain this paper", "summarize paper", pastes an arXiv/AlphaXiv URL, or provides a bare arXiv ID for quick understanding - not for broad literature search.
Its SKILL.md is about 2k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.
It sits in Research & Science, covering Academic paper search and Literature review. It works with arXiv and LaTeX. The repository describes itself as: An autonomous research agent that turns a topic into a peer-reviewed technical report.
When your agent uses it
- User says explain this paper
- Summarize paper
- Pastes an arXiv/AlphaXiv URL
- Provides a bare arXiv ID for quick understanding - not for broad literature search
Example prompts
- “explain this paper”
- “summarize paper”
- “/alphaxiv”
Requirements
- Python 3
- Pre-approved tools (allowed-tools): Bash(*), Read, Write, WebFetch, Glob
Workflow steps
5 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.
- Parse Arguments & Extract Paper ID
- Fetch AlphaXiv Overview (Tier 1 — Fastest)
- Fetch Full AlphaXiv Markdown (Tier 2 — More Detail)
- Fetch arXiv LaTeX Source (Tier 3 — Deepest)
- Present Results
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 7132192. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.
Tool permissions
Pre-approves these tools, so the agent can use them without asking each time:
Bash(*)ReadWriteWebFetchGlob
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
Shell commands in SKILL.md call:
python3git
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
Hosts in commands or code, which the agent is likely to contact:
alphaxiv.orgarxiv.org
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.
Context cost
Alphaxiv loads about 2k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 69 tokens; SKILL.md has 741 words of instructions outside code blocks.
Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.
Safety
Auto-check: notes
The automated check noted patterns worth knowing about, such as sudo or a known installer.
- NotePre-approves every shell command (allowed-tools: Bash)SKILL.md
allowed-tools: Bash(*), Read, Write, WebFetch, Glob
Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.
SKILL.md
Without a licence we can't republish the file, so here is its outline and opening line. It has 741 words (~2,045 tokens).
- name
- alphaxiv
- allowed-tools
- Bash(*), Read, Write, WebFetch, Glob
- argument-hint
- arxiv-id-or-url
Files
Just SKILL.md in skills/alphaxiv of AI4Scientist/nano-scientist.
Open the folder on GitHubat commit 7132192
Used in 2 other repositories
We found 6 copies of this SKILL.md (exact, near-identical or edited) in other folders, from 2 other GitHub owners. This page covers the copy in AI4Scientist/nano-scientist, which our catalogue first saw on October 7, 2026.
Compare with similar skills
Alphaxiv next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.
| Skill | Stars | Used in | Tokens | Auto-check | Licence | Repo updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alphaxiv this skillAI4Scientist/nano-scientist | 128 | 2 repos | ~2k | Automated safety check: Notes | None | |
| Literature Review AgentAr9av/PaperOrchestra | 677 | 1 repos | ~5.2k | Automated safety check: Pass | Custom licence | |
| Arxiv MCP Serverblazickjp/arxiv-mcp-server | 3.2k | — | ~353 | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 | |
| Arxiv Paper Writerappautomaton/latex-arxiv-SKILL | 458 | — | ~2.3k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Arxiv Paper Writeryunshenwuchuxun/latex-paper-skills | 266 | — | ~3.2k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Paper OrchestraAr9av/PaperOrchestra | 677 | 1 repos | ~3.5k | Automated safety check: Pass | Custom licence |
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Categories
Questions about Alphaxiv
What does Alphaxiv do?
Quick single-paper lookup via AlphaXiv LLM-optimized summaries with tiered source fallback. Alphaxiv is an agent skill from AI4Scientist/nano-scientist. Quick single-paper lookup via AlphaXiv LLM-optimized summaries with tiered source fallback.
When should I use Alphaxiv?
Alphaxiv fits situations like: user says explain this paper; summarize paper; pastes an arXiv/AlphaXiv URL; provides a bare arXiv ID for quick understanding - not for broad literature search.
How do I install Alphaxiv in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add AI4Scientist/nano-scientist --skill alphaxiv -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/alphaxiv in AI4Scientist/nano-scientist) into .claude/skills/alphaxiv in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install Alphaxiv in Codex?
Run `npx skills add AI4Scientist/nano-scientist --skill alphaxiv -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/alphaxiv in AI4Scientist/nano-scientist) into .agents/skills/alphaxiv in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use Alphaxiv in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?
Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add AI4Scientist/nano-scientist --skill alphaxiv -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/alphaxiv, .gemini/skills/alphaxiv, .github/skills/alphaxiv and .opencode/skills/alphaxiv in your project.
What does Alphaxiv need to run?
Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Alphaxiv needs the command-line tools its instructions call (python3 and git). Our summary lists: Python 3. Its frontmatter pre-approves these tools: Bash(*), Read, Write, WebFetch, Glob.
Does Alphaxiv access the network?
SKILL.md names 2 domains. In commands or code: alphaxiv.org and arxiv.org; the agent is likely to contact these when it follows the instructions. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.
Is Alphaxiv safe to install?
Our automated static check of SKILL.md found notes only (pre-approves every shell command (allowed-tools: bash)), nothing it rates as a warning. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.
What licence does Alphaxiv use?
No licence was found for Alphaxiv or its repository. Without one, default copyright applies: ask the author before reusing or redistributing it.
How many tokens does Alphaxiv use?
About 2k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 8.2k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.
What are the alternatives to Alphaxiv?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Alphaxiv: Literature Review Agent (Ar9av/PaperOrchestra, 677 stars), Arxiv MCP Server (blazickjp/arxiv-mcp-server, 3.2k stars), Arxiv Paper Writer (appautomaton/latex-arxiv-SKILL, 458 stars) and Arxiv Paper Writer (yunshenwuchuxun/latex-paper-skills, 266 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains Alphaxiv?
AI4Scientist (a GitHub organization) maintains it in AI4Scientist/nano-scientist, which has 128 GitHub stars. The repository holds 74 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on June 3, 2026.
Source: AI4Scientist/nano-scientist on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.