A Mathematical Investigation of Hallucination in Large Language Models

Authors

  • Linlin Su University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54097/d587fj24

Keywords:

LLMs, Hallucination, RLHF, Gaussian Process, Uncertainty Estimation, Decoding Strategy

Abstract

This paper investigates the phenomenon of 'hallucinations' in large language models through a mathematical lens, analyzing their origins (including inadequate data and bias) and proposing three mitigation strategies: optimizing the reward function in reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF), employing low-probability tokens to enhance decoding strategies, and implementing uncertainty-based detection methods (such as SelfCheck-GPT). The study seeks to improve the precision and dependability of model results.

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References

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Published

2026-05-09

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Su, L. (2026). A Mathematical Investigation of Hallucination in Large Language Models. International Journal of Advanced Engineering and Technology Research, 1(3), 129-132. https://doi.org/10.54097/d587fj24