← Back to papers

AL Normalization: Rethink Loss Aggregation in RLVR

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Paper Summary

Paperzilla title
A New Way to Train Large Language Models for Better Reasoning

This paper introduces a new method called ∆L Normalization for training large language models, which improves their reasoning abilities by reducing errors and making the training process more stable. This method addresses the problem of varying response lengths during training, leading to better overall performance on reasoning tasks like math and logical problems.

Explain Like I'm Five

Imagine teaching a computer to solve puzzles. This new teaching method helps the computer learn faster and more reliably by adjusting to the different lengths of its answers.

Possible Conflicts of Interest

One author is affiliated with Microsoft Research, which has a vested interest in developing advanced language models.

Identified Limitations

Limited Task Evaluation
The evaluation is primarily focused on two specific tasks: CountDown and Math. More diverse and complex reasoning tasks are needed to demonstrate the generalizability of ΔL Normalization.
Theoretical Assumptions
The derivation of ΔL Normalization relies on certain assumptions regarding gradient variance and independence, which may not hold perfectly in practice and requires further investigation.
Comparison to Other Methods
While the paper compares ΔL Normalization to some existing methods, a more comprehensive comparison with a broader range of techniques would strengthen the claims of superiority.

Rating Explanation

This paper presents a novel and promising technique for improving the training of LLMs for reasoning tasks. The proposed method is theoretically sound and empirically validated, demonstrating clear improvements in performance and stability. While the evaluation could be extended to more diverse tasks, and theoretical assumptions should be explored further, the contributions are significant enough to warrant a rating of 4.

Good to know

This is the Starter analysis. Paperzilla Pro fact-checks every citation, researches author backgrounds and funding sources, and uses advanced AI reasoning for more thorough insights.

Explore Pro →

Topic Hierarchy

File Information

Original Title: AL Normalization: Rethink Loss Aggregation in RLVR
Uploaded: September 10, 2025 at 07:21 PM
Privacy: Public