GPT as a Monte Carlo Language Tree: A Probabilistic Perspective (2501.07641v2)

Abstract: LLMs, such as GPT, are considered to learn the latent distributions within large-scale web-crawl datasets and accomplish NLP tasks by predicting the next token. However, this mechanism of latent distribution modeling lacks quantitative understanding and analysis. In this paper, we propose a novel perspective that any language dataset can be represented by a Monte Carlo Language Tree (abbreviated as Data-Tree''), where each node denotes a token, each edge denotes a token transition probability, and each sequence has a unique path. Any GPT-like LLM can also be flattened into another Monte Carlo Language Tree (abbreviated asGPT-Tree''). Our experiments show that different GPT models trained on the same dataset exhibit significant structural similarity in GPT-Tree visualization, and larger models converge more closely to the Data-Tree. More than 87\% GPT output tokens can be recalled by Data-Tree. These findings may confirm that the reasoning process of LLMs is more likely to be probabilistic pattern-matching rather than formal reasoning, as each model inference seems to find a context pattern with maximum probability from the Data-Tree. Furthermore, we provide deeper insights into issues such as hallucination, Chain-of-Thought (CoT) reasoning, and token bias in LLMs.

• The paper introduces a Monte Carlo Language Tree framework to model and analyze large language models like GPT from a probabilistic perspective.
• Experimental results show that GPT models resemble Data-Trees, with larger models converging closer, suggesting probabilistic pattern-matching is key to LLM reasoning.
• Using the tree perspective, the paper explains LLM behaviors like hallucinations (due to data bias), token bias (rare tokens), and CoT reasoning (navigating the tree).

The paper "GPT as a Monte Carlo Language Tree: A Probabilistic Perspective" presents a novel viewpoint on understanding the operation of LLMs like GPT by conceptualizing them through the framework of a Monte Carlo Language Tree. This novel representation provides insights into the latent distribution learning and token prediction mechanisms employed by these models, while also offering a quantitative analysis of their behavior.

The central proposition of the paper is to represent both the language dataset (denoted as "Data-Tree") and GPT-like models (denoted as "GPT-Tree") as Monte Carlo Language Trees. In this structure:

• Each node symbolizes a token.
• Each edge symbolizes the transition probability between tokens.
• Each sequence is represented by a unique path through the tree.

Key findings include:

1. Structural Similarity and Convergence:
   • Experimental evidence shows that different GPT models trained on the same dataset exhibit significant structural similarity in GPT-Tree visualizations.
   • Larger models tend to converge more closely to the Data-Tree, with over 87% of GPT output tokens being recalled by the Data-Tree. This suggests that the reasoning process of LLMs is better characterized as probabilistic pattern-matching rather than formal logical reasoning.
2. Insights into LLM Phenomena:
   • Through the Monte Carlo Language Tree perspective, the paper provides explanations for several phenomena in LLMs, such as hallucinations, token bias, and Chain-of-Thought (CoT) reasoning.
   • Hallucinations are attributed to the strong co-occurrence biases present in the training data, leading models to generate plausible yet factually incorrect responses.
   • Token bias is explained by the impact of rare tokens, which can induce models to navigate incorrect paths within the GPT-Tree.
   • CoT reasoning is interpreted as a mechanism to bridge significant gaps between input and expected output, effectively assisting in navigating the tree from input to desired output through intermediate reasoning paths.
3. Quantitative Analysis and Visualization:
   • The paper employs metrics such as Mean Squared Error (MSE) and Recall@5 to quantify the alignment between GPT-Trees and Data-Trees.
   • Visualization techniques like Sankey diagrams are leveraged to illustrate the token transition probabilities and structural similarities between different models and datasets.

The paper's findings provide a framework for better understanding the operational dynamics of GPT and similar models, suggesting that optimizing model design could benefit from focusing on the alignment and approximation of the underlying Data-Tree structures. This perspective not only enhances comprehension of existing LLM behaviors but also suggests avenues for improvement by addressing the identified biases and reasoning limitations.