用熵值分析大模型每层的预测动态,揭示其决策策略。
Entropy-Lens: Uncovering Decision Strategies in LLMs
- 通过日志概率熵构建低维信号,捕捉每层输出分布变化
- 发现模型存在扩展与剪枝两类核心决策策略,影响下游性能
- 方法对模型规模不敏感,适合研究不同任务和架构的决策模式
在大型语言模型中,每一层通过对残差流进行操作,将输入标记序列映射为输出标记分布。然而,大多数可解释性研究聚焦于内部隐状态,忽略了标记空间动态。由于标记分布维度高且类别性强,传统统计描述符难以适用。本文提出日志概率熵可克服上述问题,提供一种逐层标量、排列不变的度量方式。我们引入熵镜(Entropy-Lens),将残差流的标记空间动态压缩为低维信号,称为熵谱。该方法应用于多种模型规模与类型,发现:(i) 熵谱揭示了由扩展与剪枝策略驱动的标记预测动态;(ii) 这些动态具有家族特异性,且在深度缩放下保持不变;(iii) 动态特征与任务类型及输出格式密切相关;(iv) 不同策略对下游性能影响不均,扩展策略通常更为关键。研究深化了对残差流的理解,实现了对信息处理过程在模型深度上的精细评估。
原文摘要 · Abstract (English)
In large language models (LLMs), each block operates on the residual stream to map input token sequences to output token distributions. However, most of the interpretability literature focuses on internal latent representations, leaving token-space dynamics underexplored. The high dimensionality and categoricity of token distributions hinder their analysis, as standard statistical descriptors are not suitable. We show that the entropy of logit-lens predictions overcomes these issues. In doing so, it provides a per-layer scalar, permutation-invariant metric. We introduce Entropy-Lens to distill the token-space dynamics of the residual stream into a low-dimensional signal. We call this signal the entropy profile. We apply our method to a variety of model sizes and families, showing that (i) entropy profiles uncover token prediction dynamics driven by expansion and pruning strategies; (ii) these dynamics are family-specific and invariant under depth rescaling; (iii) they are characteristic of task type and output format; (iv) these strategies have unequal impact on downstream performance, with the expansion strategy usually being more critical. Ultimately, our findings further enhance our understanding of the residual stream, enabling a granular assessment of how information is processed across model depth.
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