揭示大模型逐层预测信息的几何演化,发现三阶段动态规律。
A Geometric Perspective on Next-Token Prediction in Large Language Models: Three Emerging Phases

- 用可学习映射分析中间表示中的预测信息分布轨迹。
- 发现预测信息从分散到聚焦的三阶段演化:种子多路、覆盖提升、焦点收敛。
- 适合关注模型内部机制与深层结构演化的研究人员阅读。
我们研究大型语言模型(LLMs)各层中预测信息的几何特性。通过重新利用表示透镜——即从中间残差流中预测下一个词元的可学习仿射映射——作为几何诊断工具,不关注模型在每层预测什么,而是关注预测信息存在于何处及其随深度的演化。在每一层,我们将预测读出子空间定义为该映射在d维残差流上的主导k维奇异子空间(k为分辨率参数),并追踪其在格拉斯曼流形上的轨迹,形成跨层相似性轮廓。该轮廓可用单峰分布描述,呈现上升、近似平台和下降三个阶段;当k从d的1%到50%变化时,描绘出可见性与能量保留之间的帕累托前沿,但相同结构在所有尺度下均出现。在两个系列共八种模型(Qwen2.5 和 OLMo2,1B-32B)中,识别出三个几何阶段:第一阶段(种子多路)中,前馈与注意力层以家族特异性比例在叠加态中生成候选集,最终词元成为领先候选者比例从20%升至35%;第二阶段(覆盖提升)中,更新覆盖现有子空间,集中候选分布而不扩展有效秩;第三阶段(焦点收敛)中,高能低秩更新将胜出者写入与反嵌入方向对齐的形式。阶段1和3随模型深度缓慢增长,阶段2呈线性扩展。更深模型的额外容量主要被用于候选消歧。
原文摘要 · Abstract (English)
We investigate the geometry of predictive information across the layers of large language models (LLMs). We repurpose representation lenses-learned affine maps trained to predict the next token from intermediate residual streams-as geometric diagnostic tools. Rather than asking what the model predicts at each layer, we ask where predictive information resides and how it evolves across depth. We define at each layer a predictive readout subspace as the dominant k-dimensional singular subspace of such a map on the d-dimensional residual stream (where k is a resolution parameter), and track its trajectory on the Grassmann manifold as a similarity profile across layers. The profile is well described by unimodal distributions exhibiting a rise, near-plateau, and descent; varying k from 1% to 50% of d traces a Pareto frontier between visibility and energy retention, yet the same structure emerges at all scales. Across eight models from two families (Qwen2.5 and OLMo2, 1B-32B), we identify three geometric phases. Updates are approximately orthogonal to the residual stream throughout; what distinguishes the phases is their effect on the effective rank, which expands, stabilizes, and concentrates. In the first, Seeding Multiplexing, feed-forward memories and attention layers seed a candidate set in superposition in family-specific proportions, with the final token rising as leading candidate from 20% to 35% of positions across this phase. In the second, Hoisting Overriding, updates override existing subspaces to concentrate the candidate distribution without expanding the rank. In the third, Focal Convergence, high-energy low-rank updates write the winner into a form aligned with the unembedding direction. Phases 1 and 3 grow slowly with model depth, while Phase 2 expands linearly. The additional capacity of deeper LLMs is largely absorbed by candidate disambiguation.
Thank you to arXiv for use of its open access interoperability. PaperDance 不是 arXiv 官方产品;中文卡片由大模型生成,请以原文为准。