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Xinyuan Song

Publications and source records attributed to Xinyuan Song.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

ActTail: Global Activation Sparsity in Large Language Models

Activation sparsity is a promising approach for accelerating large language model (LLM) inference by reducing computation and memory movement. However, existing activation sparsity methods typically apply uniform sparsity across projections, ignoring the heterogeneous statistical properties of Transformer weights and thereby amplifying performance degradation. In this paper, we propose ActTail, a TopK magnitude-based activation sparsity method with global activation sparsity allocation grounded in Heavy-Tailed Self-Regularization (HT-SR) theory. Specifically, we capture this heterogeneity via the heavy-tail exponent computed from each projection's empirical spectral density (ESD), which is used as a quantitative indicator to assign projection-specific sparsity budgets. Importantly, we provide a theoretical analysis that establishes an explicit relationship between the activation sparsity ratio and the heavy-tail exponent under the HT-SR regime, offering principled guidance for sparsity allocation beyond heuristic design. Experiments on LLaMA and Mistral models show that our method improves both perplexity and downstream task performance at high sparsity compared to uniform allocation. At 80% sparsity, perplexity is reduced by 21.8% on LLaMA-2-7B, 40.1% on LLaMA-2-13B, and 9.4% on Mistral-7B.

cs.CL↗

Difficulty-Aware Agentic Orchestration for Query-Specific Multi-Agent Workflows

Large Language Model (LLM)-based agentic systems have shown strong capabilities across various tasks. However, existing multi-agent frameworks often rely on static or task-level workflows, which either over-process simple queries or underperform on complex ones, while also neglecting the efficiency-performance trade-offs across heterogeneous LLMs. To address these limitations, we propose Difficulty-Aware Agentic Orchestration (DAAO), which can dynamically generate query-specific multi-agent workflows guided by predicted query difficulty. DAAO comprises three interdependent modules: a variational autoencoder (VAE) for difficulty estimation, a modular operator allocator, and a cost- and performance-aware LLM router. A self-adjusting policy updates difficulty estimates based on workflow success, enabling simpler workflows for easy queries and more complex strategies for harder ones. Experiments on six benchmarks demonstrate that DAAO surpasses prior multi-agent systems in both accuracy and inference efficiency, validating its effectiveness for adaptive, difficulty-aware reasoning.

cs.AI↗

Improving Medical Visual Reinforcement Fine-Tuning via Perception and Reasoning Augmentation

While recent advances in Reinforcement Fine-Tuning (RFT) have shown that rule-based reward schemes can enable effective post-training for large language models, their extension to cross-modal, vision-centric domains remains largely underexplored. This limitation is especially pronounced in the medical imaging domain, where effective performance requires both robust visual perception and structured reasoning. In this work, we address this gap by proposing VRFT-Aug, a visual reinforcement fine-tuning framework tailored for the medical domain. VRFT-Aug introduces a series of training strategies designed to augment both perception and reasoning, including prior knowledge injection, perception-driven policy refinement, medically informed reward shaping, and behavioral imitation. Together, these methods aim to stabilize and improve the RFT process. Through extensive experiments across multiple medical datasets, we show that our approaches consistently outperform both standard supervised fine-tuning and RFT baselines. Moreover, we provide empirically grounded insights and practical training heuristics that can be generalized to other medical image tasks. We hope this work contributes actionable guidance and fresh inspiration for the ongoing effort to develop reliable, reasoning-capable models for high-stakes medical applications.

cs.CV↗

Meta-Learning Reinforcement Learning for Crypto-Return Prediction

Predicting cryptocurrency returns is notoriously difficult: price movements are driven by a fast-shifting blend of on-chain activity, news flow, and social sentiment, while labeled training data are scarce and expensive. In this paper, we present Meta-RL-Crypto, a unified transformer-based architecture that unifies meta-learning and reinforcement learning (RL) to create a fully self-improving trading agent. Starting from a vanilla instruction-tuned LLM, the agent iteratively alternates between three roles-actor, judge, and meta-judge-in a closed-loop architecture. This learning process requires no additional human supervision. It can leverage multimodal market inputs and internal preference feedback. The agent in the system continuously refines both the trading policy and evaluation criteria. Experiments across diverse market regimes demonstrate that Meta-RL-Crypto shows good performance on the technical indicators of the real market and outperforming other LLM-based baselines.

cs.LG↗

Learning to Recommend Multi-Agent Subgraphs from Calling Trees

Multi-agent systems (MAS) increasingly solve complex tasks by orchestrating agents and tools selected from rapidly growing marketplaces. As these marketplaces expand, many candidates become functionally overlapping, making selection not just a retrieval problem: beyond filtering relevant agents, an orchestrator must choose options that are reliable, compatible with the current execution context, and able to cooperate with other selected agents. Existing recommender systems -- largely built for item-level ranking from flat user-item logs -- do not directly address the structured, sequential, and interaction-dependent nature of agent orchestration. We address this gap by \textbf{formulating agent recommendation in MAS as a constrained decision problem} and introducing a generic \textbf{constrained recommendation framework} that first uses retrieval to build a compact candidate set conditioned on the current subtask and context, and then performs \textbf{utility optimization} within this feasible set using a learned scorer that accounts for relevance, reliability, and interaction effects. We ground both the formulation and learning signals in \textbf{historical calling trees}, which capture the execution structure of MAS (parent-child calls, branching dependencies, and local cooperation patterns) beyond what flat logs provide. The framework supports two complementary settings: \textbf{agent-level recommendation} (select the next agent/tool) and \textbf{system-level recommendation} (select a small, connected agent team/subgraph for coordinated execution). To enable systematic evaluation, we construct a unified calling-tree benchmark by normalizing invocation logs from eight heterogeneous multi-agent corpora into a shared structured representation.

cs.MA↗

Demystifying the Roles of LLM Layers in Retrieval, Knowledge, and Reasoning

Recent studies suggest that the deeper layers of Large Language Models (LLMs) contribute little to representation learning and can often be removed without significant performance loss. However, such claims are typically drawn from narrow evaluations and may overlook important aspects of model behavior. In this work, we present a systematic study of depth utilization across diverse dimensions, including evaluation protocols, task categories, and model architectures. Our analysis confirms that very deep layers are generally less effective than earlier ones, but their contributions vary substantially with the evaluation setting. Under likelihood-based metrics without generation, pruning most layers preserves performance, with only the initial few being critical. By contrast, generation-based evaluation uncovers indispensable roles for middle and deeper layers in enabling reasoning and maintaining long-range coherence. We further find that knowledge and retrieval are concentrated in shallow components, whereas reasoning accuracy relies heavily on deeper layers -- yet can be reshaped through distillation. These results highlight that depth usage in LLMs is highly heterogeneous and context-dependent, underscoring the need for task-, metric-, and model-aware perspectives in both interpreting and compressing large models.

cs.AI↗

VeriLLM: A Lightweight Framework for Publicly Verifiable Decentralized Inference

Decentralized inference provides a scalable and resilient paradigm for serving large language models (LLMs), enabling fragmented global resource utilization and reducing reliance on centralized providers. However, in a permissionless environment without trusted nodes, ensuring the correctness of model outputs remains a core challenge. We introduce VeriLLM, a publicly verifiable protocol for decentralized LLM inference that achieves security with incentive guarantees while maintaining practical efficiency. VeriLLM combines lightweight empirical rerunning with minimal on-chain checks to preclude free-riding, allowing verifiers to validate results at approximately 1% of the underlying inference cost by exploiting the structural separation between prefill and autoregressive decoding. To prevent verification bottlenecks, we design an isomorphic inference--verification architecture that multiplexes both inference and verification roles across the same GPU workers. This design (i) improves GPU utilization and overall throughput, (ii) enlarges the effective validator set, enhancing robustness and liveness, and (iii) enforces task indistinguishability to prevent node-specific optimizations or selective behavior. Through theoretical analysis and system-level evaluation, we show that VeriLLM achieves reliable public verifiability with minimal overhead, offering a practical foundation for trustworthy and scalable decentralized LLM inference.

cs.CR↗

Matrix Sensing with Kernel Optimal Loss: Robustness and Optimization Landscape

In this paper we study how the choice of loss functions of non-convex optimization problems affects their robustness and optimization landscape, through the study of noisy matrix sensing. In traditional regression tasks, mean squared error (MSE) loss is a common choice, but it can be unreliable for non-Gaussian or heavy-tailed noise. To address this issue, we adopt a robust loss based on nonparametric regression, which uses a kernel-based estimate of the residual density and maximizes the estimated log-likelihood. This robust formulation coincides with the MSE loss under Gaussian errors but remains stable under more general settings. We further examine how this robust loss reshapes the optimization landscape by analyzing the upper-bound of restricted isometry property (RIP) constants for spurious local minima to disappear. Through theoretical and empirical analysis, we show that this new loss excels at handling large noise and remains robust across diverse noise distributions. This work offers initial insights into enhancing the robustness of machine learning tasks through simply changing the loss, guided by an intuitive and broadly applicable analytical framework.

cs.LG↗

Exploring Efficiency Frontiers of Thinking Budget in Medical Reasoning: Scaling Laws between Computational Resources and Reasoning Quality

This study presents the first comprehensive evaluation of thinking budget mechanisms in medical reasoning tasks, revealing fundamental scaling laws between computational resources and reasoning quality. We systematically evaluated two major model families, Qwen3 (1.7B to 235B parameters) and DeepSeek-R1 (1.5B to 70B parameters), across 15 medical datasets spanning diverse specialties and difficulty levels. Through controlled experiments with thinking budgets ranging from zero to unlimited tokens, we establish logarithmic scaling relationships where accuracy improvements follow a predictable pattern with both thinking budget and model size. Our findings identify three distinct efficiency regimes: high-efficiency (0 to 256 tokens) suitable for real-time applications, balanced (256 to 512 tokens) offering optimal cost-performance tradeoffs for routine clinical support, and high-accuracy (above 512 tokens) justified only for critical diagnostic tasks. Notably, smaller models demonstrate disproportionately larger benefits from extended thinking, with 15 to 20% improvements compared to 5 to 10% for larger models, suggesting a complementary relationship where thinking budget provides greater relative benefits for capacity-constrained models. Domain-specific patterns emerge clearly, with neurology and gastroenterology requiring significantly deeper reasoning processes than cardiovascular or respiratory medicine. The consistency between Qwen3 native thinking budget API and our proposed truncation method for DeepSeek-R1 validates the generalizability of thinking budget concepts across architectures. These results establish thinking budget control as a critical mechanism for optimizing medical AI systems, enabling dynamic resource allocation aligned with clinical needs while maintaining the transparency essential for healthcare deployment.

cs.CL↗

47B Mixture-of-Experts Beats 671B Dense Models on Chinese Medical Examinations

The rapid advancement of large language models(LLMs) has prompted significant interest in their potential applications in medical domains. This paper presents a comprehensive benchmark evaluation of 27 state-of-the-art LLMs on Chinese medical examination questions, encompassing seven medical specialties across two professional levels. We introduce a robust evaluation framework that assesses model performance on 2,800 carefully curated questions from cardiovascular, gastroenterology, hematology, infectious diseases, nephrology, neurology, and respiratory medicine domains. Our dataset distinguishes between attending physician and senior physician difficulty levels, providing nuanced insights into model capabilities across varying complexity. Our empirical analysis reveals substantial performance variations among models, with Mixtral-8x7B achieving the highest overall accuracy of 74.25%, followed by DeepSeek-R1-671B at 64.07%. Notably, we observe no consistent correlation between model size and performance, as evidenced by the strong performance of smaller mixture-of-experts architectures. The evaluation demonstrates significant performance gaps between medical specialties, with models generally performing better on cardiovascular and neurology questions compared to gastroenterology and nephrology domains. Furthermore, our analysis indicates minimal performance degradation between attending and senior physician levels for top-performing models, suggesting robust generalization capabilities. This benchmark provides critical insights for the deployment of LLMs in medical education and clinical decision support systems, highlighting both the promise and current limitations of these technologies in specialized medical contexts.

cs.CL↗

Deep Learning and Machine Learning, Advancing Big Data Analytics and Management: Object-Oriented Programming

Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) has become a crucial paradigm for managing the growing complexity of modern software systems, particularly in fields like machine learning, deep learning, large language models (LLM), and data analytics. This work provides a comprehensive introduction to the integration of OOP techniques within these domains, with a focus on improving code modularity, maintainability, and scalability. We begin by outlining the evolution of computing and the rise of OOP, followed by an in-depth discussion of key OOP principles such as encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, and abstraction. The practical application of these principles is demonstrated using Python, a widely adopted language in AI and data science. Furthermore, we examine how design patterns and modular programming can be employed to enhance the structure and efficiency of machine learning systems. In subsequent sections, we apply these OOP concepts to real-world AI tasks, including the encapsulation of preprocessing workflows, machine learning model training, and evaluation. Detailed examples illustrate how OOP can be used to build reusable, scalable machine learning systems while maintaining code clarity and reducing redundancy.This work is intended to serve as a bridge for both beginners and experienced developers, equipping them with the necessary knowledge to apply OOP methodologies in AI-driven projects, ultimately fostering the development of more robust and maintainable systems.

cs.CL↗

Deep Learning and Machine Learning: Advancing Big Data Analytics and Management with Design Patterns

This book, Design Patterns in Machine Learning and Deep Learning: Advancing Big Data Analytics Management, presents a comprehensive study of essential design patterns tailored for large-scale machine learning and deep learning applications. The book explores the application of classical software engineering patterns, Creational, Structural, Behavioral, and Concurrency Patterns, to optimize the development, maintenance, and scalability of big data analytics systems. Through practical examples and detailed Python implementations, it bridges the gap between traditional object-oriented design patterns and the unique demands of modern data analytics environments. Key design patterns such as Singleton, Factory, Observer, and Strategy are analyzed for their impact on model management, deployment strategies, and team collaboration, providing invaluable insights into the engineering of efficient, reusable, and flexible systems. This volume is an essential resource for developers, researchers, and engineers aiming to enhance their technical expertise in both machine learning and software design.

cs.SE↗

FMCW Radar Principles and Human Activity Recognition Systems: Foundations, Techniques, and Applications

This book introduces the theoretical foundations of FMCW radar systems, including range and velocity estimation, signal processing techniques, and the generation of radar point clouds. A detailed discussion of Python and MATLAB as the primary programming tools for radar signal processing is provided, including the integration of libraries like NumPy, Matplotlib, and SciPy for data analysis and visualization. In addition, the book covers advanced techniques such as deep learning applications for radar signal processing, focusing on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks, and Transformers for analyzing radar data. Furthermore, it highlights state-of-the-art methods for human activity recognition using radar, leveraging a combination of traditional signal processing techniques and machine learning models. The book is designed to cater to both beginners and experts in radar signal processing, offering practical examples, code implementations, and insights into the future of radar technology in various domains, including autonomous systems and security applications.

eess.SP↗

Mastering AI: Big Data, Deep Learning, and the Evolution of Large Language Models -- Blockchain and Applications

A detailed exploration of blockchain technology and its applications across various fields is provided, beginning with an introduction to cryptography fundamentals, including symmetric and asymmetric encryption, and their roles in ensuring security and trust within blockchain systems. The structure and mechanics of Bitcoin and Ethereum are then examined, covering topics such as proof-of-work, proof-of-stake, and smart contracts. Practical applications of blockchain in industries like decentralized finance (DeFi), supply chain management, and identity authentication are highlighted. The discussion also extends to consensus mechanisms and scalability challenges in blockchain, offering insights into emerging technologies like Layer 2 solutions and cross-chain interoperability. The current state of academic research on blockchain and its potential future developments are also addressed.

cs.CR↗

Deep Learning and Machine Learning -- Python Data Structures and Mathematics Fundamental: From Theory to Practice

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the foundational concepts of machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL). It bridges the gap between theoretical mathematics and practical application, focusing on Python as the primary programming language for implementing key algorithms and data structures. The book covers a wide range of topics, including basic and advanced Python programming, fundamental mathematical operations, matrix operations, linear algebra, and optimization techniques crucial for training ML and DL models. Advanced subjects like neural networks, optimization algorithms, and frequency domain methods are also explored, along with real-world applications of large language models (LLMs) and artificial intelligence (AI) in big data management. Designed for both beginners and advanced learners, the book emphasizes the critical role of mathematical principles in developing scalable AI solutions. Practical examples and Python code are provided throughout, ensuring readers gain hands-on experience in applying theoretical knowledge to solve complex problems in ML, DL, and big data analytics.

cs.LG↗

Mixture of Experts in Large Language Models

This paper presents a comprehensive review of the Mixture-of-Experts (MoE) architecture in large language models, highlighting its ability to significantly enhance model performance while maintaining minimal computational overhead. Through a systematic analysis spanning theoretical foundations, core architectural designs, and large language model (LLM) applications, we examine expert gating and routing mechanisms, hierarchical and sparse MoE configurations, meta-learning approaches, multimodal and multitask learning scenarios, real-world deployment cases, and recent advances and challenges in deep learning. Our analysis identifies key advantages of MoE, including superior model capacity compared to equivalent Bayesian approaches, improved task-specific performance, and the ability to scale model capacity efficiently. We also underscore the importance of ensuring expert diversity, accurate calibration, and reliable inference aggregation, as these are essential for maximizing the effectiveness of MoE architectures. Finally, this review outlines current research limitations, open challenges, and promising future directions, providing a foundation for continued innovation in MoE architecture and its applications.

cs.LG↗

Multimodal Representation Learning and Fusion

Multi-modal learning is a fast growing area in artificial intelligence. It tries to help machines understand complex things by combining information from different sources, like images, text, and audio. By using the strengths of each modality, multi-modal learning allows AI systems to build stronger and richer internal representations. These help machines better interpretation, reasoning, and making decisions in real-life situations. This field includes core techniques such as representation learning (to get shared features from different data types), alignment methods (to match information across modalities), and fusion strategies (to combine them by deep learning models). Although there has been good progress, some major problems still remain. Like dealing with different data formats, missing or incomplete inputs, and defending against adversarial attacks. Researchers now are exploring new methods, such as unsupervised or semi-supervised learning, AutoML tools, to make models more efficient and easier to scale. And also more attention on designing better evaluation metrics or building shared benchmarks, make it easier to compare model performance across tasks and domains. As the field continues to grow, multi-modal learning is expected to improve many areas: computer vision, natural language processing, speech recognition, and healthcare. In the future, it may help to build AI systems that can understand the world in a way more like humans, flexible, context aware, and able to deal with real-world complexity.

cs.LG↗

Is GPT-OSS Good? A Comprehensive Evaluation of OpenAI's Latest Open Source Models

In August 2025, OpenAI released GPT-OSS models, its first open weight large language models since GPT-2 in 2019, comprising two mixture of experts architectures with 120B and 20B parameters. We evaluated both variants against six contemporary open source large language models ranging from 14.7B to 235B parameters, representing both dense and sparse designs, across ten benchmarks covering general knowledge, mathematical reasoning, code generation, multilingual understanding, and conversational ability. All models were tested in unquantised form under standardised inference settings, with statistical validation using McNemars test and effect size analysis. Results show that gpt-oss-20B consistently outperforms gpt-oss-120B on several benchmarks, such as HumanEval and MMLU, despite requiring substantially less memory and energy per response. Both models demonstrate mid-tier overall performance within the current open source landscape, with relative strength in code generation and notable weaknesses in multilingual tasks. These findings provide empirical evidence that scaling in sparse architectures may not yield proportional performance gains, underscoring the need for further investigation into optimisation strategies and informing more efficient model selection for future open source deployments. More details and evaluation scripts are available at https://ai-agent-lab.github.io/gpt-oss (Project Webpage).

cs.CL↗