arXiv AI

Interpreting Language Model Parameters

The paper introduces adVersarial Parameter Decomposition (VPD), a method that splits a language model’s parameters into simple subcomponents, each responsible for a small part of the model’s algorithm. VPD optimizes these decompositions so that the model’s input‑output behavior remains intact even when many subcomponents are removed, including adversarially chosen ones. This approach enables a new form of circuit analysis by tracing how sequences of parameter subcomponents interact to produce outputs for specific inputs.

arXiv Machine Learning
Sep 11

Perturbation: A simple and efficient adversarial tracer for representation learning in language models

The paper introduces Perturbation, a method that treats representations in language models as learning conduits rather than activation patterns. By fine‑tuning a model on a single adversarial example and observing how this perturbation spreads to other inputs, the approach avoids geometric assumptions and does not identify representations in untrained models. In trained models, Perturbation uncovers structured transfer across multiple linguistic scales, indicating that language models generalize along representational lines and acquire linguistic abstractions through experience.

By Joshua Rozner, Cory Shain
arXiv AI
Aug 20

Mechanistic Interpretability of Structure-Aware Numerical Reasoning in LLaMA 3.1 8B

The paper investigates how LLaMA 3.1‑8B models numerical sequence patterns, focusing on time‑series prediction. By designing a task that requires detecting structural cues—specifically first differences in a sequence—the authors show that the model performs well and internally computes and stores these differences. Probing and activation‑patching experiments reveal that LLaMA retrieves and applies the first‑difference via an induction‑like circuit, marking one of the first demonstrations of concept induction in large language models.

By Rahul Chowdhury, Timothy A Rupprecht, Senhao Cao, Jiahao Liu, Octavia Camps, David Bau, Pu Zhao, Yanzhi Wang
arXiv Machine Learning
Jun 18

From Mechanistic to Compositional Interpretability

arXiv:2605. 08934v2 Announce Type: replace Abstract: Mechanistic interpretability aims to explain neural model behaviour by reverse-engineering learned computational structure into human-understandable components.

By Ward Gauderis, Thomas Dooms, Steven T. Homer, Kola Ayonrinde, Geraint A. Wiggins