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Quantization and distillation effects on code LLMs (arxiv.org)
1 point by nkko 265 days ago | hide | past | pdf | discuss on HN

In plain words: They measured how well model tokenizers cover programming keywords and how likely code tokens are before any prompt, then tested how quantization and distillation change them and code quality. Compression shifts token behavior and can weaken code generation, but some settings keep it strong.

Abstract · Compressed code: the hidden effects of quantization and distillation on programming tokens

Large Language Models (LLMs) have demonstrated exceptional code generation capabilities, yet their token-level mechanisms remain underexplored, particularly in compressed models. Through systematic analysis of programming language token representations, we characterize how programming languages are encoded in LLM tokenizers by analyzing their vocabulary distribution and keyword coverage patterns. We introduce a novel cold-start probability analysis method that provides insights into model behavior without requiring explicit prompts. Additionally, we present a comprehensive evaluation of how different model optimization techniques - including quantization, distillation, model scaling, and task-specific fine-tuning - affect token-level representations and code generation quality. Our experiments, supported by comprehensive probability distribution analysis and evaluation metrics, reveal critical insights into token-level behavior and provide empirically-validated guidelines for maintaining code generation quality under various optimization constraints. These findings advance both theoretical understanding of LLM code generation and practical implementation of optimized models in production environments.

Viacheslav Siniaev, Iaroslav Chelombitko, Aleksey Komissarov
arXiv:2601.02563 · cs.SE, cs.CL, cs.LG, cs.PL · submitted Jan 5, 2026 · updated Feb 8, 2026
abstract · pdf · html · 18 pages, 1 figure and 6 tables

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