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Improving the Reasoning Capabilities of Large Language Models through Self-Exploration and Fine-Grained Rewards


Kernekoncepter
Large language models can self-improve their reasoning capabilities by extracting fine-grained learning signals from their own generated rationales.
Resumé

The paper proposes a method called SELF-EXPLORE to enhance the reasoning capabilities of large language models (LLMs) through self-training. The key ideas are:

  1. The target model conducts step-level exploration to identify the first wrong step (the "first pit") within each rationale by sampling multiple continuations.

  2. A pair-wise dataset is constructed by sorting the rationales into positive and negative samples at the step level, based on whether the step leads to the correct answer.

  3. An arbitrary preference learning objective, such as Direct Preference Optimization (DPO), is applied on this fine-grained, step-level dataset to increase the probability of generating positive rationales and lower the probability of generating negative ones.

The experiments show that SELF-EXPLORE consistently outperforms supervised fine-tuning and outcome-supervised DPO across different base models (Mistral-7B, Llemma-7B, and Deepseek-Math 7B) on the GSM8K and MATH datasets. The method achieves 11.57% and 2.89% improvement on average, respectively, compared to supervised fine-tuning.

The analysis further demonstrates that the step-level reward design in SELF-EXPLORE is more effective than a naive approach based on the correctness of the final prediction. It also highlights the importance of the explorer's capability in providing high-quality step-level supervision.

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Statistik
If Joy can read 8 pages in 20 minutes, she can read 8 * (1/3) = 2.66 pages in 1 hour. It will take her 120/2.66 = 44 hours to read 120 pages.
Citater
"Training on large amounts of rationales (i.e., CoT Fine-tuning) is effective at improving the reasoning capabilities of large language models (LLMs). However, acquiring human-authored rationales or augmenting rationales from proprietary models is costly and not scalable." "One potential solution to address this issue is to enhance the reasoning capabilities of LLMs through self-training."

Dybere Forespørgsler

How can the self-exploration process be further improved to provide even stronger learning signals for the target model?

To enhance the self-exploration process and provide stronger learning signals for the target model, several strategies can be implemented: Diverse Exploration Paths: Encourage the target model to explore a wider range of paths during self-exploration. By sampling more diverse completions at each step, the model can gain a better understanding of the reasoning process and potentially discover more effective strategies. Dynamic Exploration: Implement a dynamic exploration strategy where the exploration space adapts based on the model's performance. For example, if the model consistently struggles at a certain type of reasoning task, the exploration process can focus more on generating variations in that specific area to provide targeted learning signals. Feedback Mechanisms: Introduce feedback mechanisms during the exploration process to guide the model towards more effective paths. This feedback can be based on intermediate steps, allowing the model to course-correct in real-time and avoid potential pitfalls. Multi-Model Exploration: Incorporate multiple exploration models with diverse strengths and weaknesses. By leveraging the collective intelligence of different models, the self-exploration process can benefit from a broader range of perspectives and strategies. Adversarial Exploration: Introduce adversarial exploration where the model is challenged with generating incorrect completions and then tasked with identifying and correcting these errors. This can help the model develop a more robust understanding of reasoning pitfalls and how to overcome them.

What are the potential limitations of the SELF-EXPLORE approach, and how could it be extended to handle more complex reasoning tasks?

Limitations: Limited Exploration Space: The self-exploration process may be constrained by the exploration space, leading to suboptimal learning signals if the model does not explore a wide range of reasoning paths. Overfitting: There is a risk of overfitting to the self-generated data, especially if the exploration process is not diverse enough or if the model becomes too reliant on specific patterns. Scalability: Scaling the SELF-EXPLORE approach to handle more complex reasoning tasks may pose challenges in terms of computational resources and training data availability. Extensions: Hierarchical Exploration: Implement a hierarchical exploration approach where the model explores reasoning paths at different levels of abstraction. This can help handle more complex tasks by breaking them down into manageable sub-tasks. Transfer Learning: Utilize transfer learning techniques to adapt the SELF-EXPLORE approach to new domains or tasks. By leveraging pre-trained models and knowledge transfer, the approach can be extended to handle a wider range of reasoning challenges. Ensemble Exploration: Combine the SELF-EXPLORE approach with ensemble methods, where multiple exploration strategies are integrated to provide a more comprehensive learning experience. This can enhance the model's ability to tackle complex reasoning tasks by leveraging diverse exploration techniques.

How might the insights from this work on self-improving reasoning capabilities be applied to other domains beyond mathematical reasoning, such as commonsense reasoning or task-oriented dialogue?

The insights from self-improving reasoning capabilities can be applied to various domains beyond mathematical reasoning: Commonsense Reasoning: In commonsense reasoning tasks, the self-exploration process can help models develop a deeper understanding of everyday scenarios and common knowledge. By exploring diverse reasoning paths and learning from self-generated data, models can enhance their commonsense reasoning abilities. Task-Oriented Dialogue Systems: For task-oriented dialogue systems, self-exploration can aid in improving the model's ability to understand user intents, generate appropriate responses, and handle complex dialogues. By exploring different dialogue paths and learning from interactions, models can adapt and improve their dialogue capabilities. Natural Language Understanding: In the domain of natural language understanding, self-improvement through exploration can enhance the model's comprehension of text, enabling it to extract relevant information, infer relationships, and make accurate predictions. This can benefit various NLP tasks such as sentiment analysis, text classification, and information retrieval. By applying the principles of self-exploration and self-improvement to these domains, models can become more adept at handling a wide range of reasoning tasks and challenges, ultimately improving their overall performance and adaptability.
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