LLM Techniques on English AI Terms Dictionary

Chain-of-Thought Prompting

Sat, 18 Jul 2026 09:40:12 +0000

Definition

Chain-of-Thought (CoT) prompting improves the performance of large language models on complex reasoning tasks by explicitly asking the model to articulate its step-by-step logic. Instead of jumping directly to a conclusion, the model generates intermediate sentences that represent its thought process. This approach mimics human problem-solving strategies, significantly enhancing accuracy in mathematics, logic puzzles, and multi-step deductions. It can be implemented via few-shot examples or simple instructions like ‘Let’s think step by step.’

In-Context Learning

Sat, 18 Jul 2026 07:39:00 +0000

Definition

In-context learning (ICL) allows large language models to adapt to new tasks without updating their weights. By providing input-output pairs within the prompt context, the model infers the pattern and applies it to new queries. This zero-shot or few-shot capability enables rapid prototyping and flexibility, serving as a powerful alternative to traditional fine-tuning for tasks requiring quick adaptation to novel domains.

Summary

A technique where models learn to perform tasks by observing examples provided in the prompt.