{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7134055409","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.04436","title":"ZorBA: Zeroth-order Federated Fine-tuning of LLMs with Heterogeneous Block Activation","display_name":"ZorBA: Zeroth-order Federated Fine-tuning of LLMs with Heterogeneous Block Activation","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-02-19","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7134055409","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.04436"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"pmh:doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.04436","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":null,"pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4406922384","display_name":"Open MIND","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Article"},"type":"preprint","indexed_in":["datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":null,"any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5126519825","display_name":"Chuiyang Meng","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Meng, Chuiyang","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5128247290","display_name":"Ming Tang","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Tang, Ming","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5003037377","display_name":"Vincent W. S. Wong","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3821-4365"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Wong, Vincent W. S.","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"affiliations":[]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":0,"institutions_distinct_count":3,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5126519825"],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":null,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":null,"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10273","display_name":"IoT and Edge/Fog Computing","score":0.19089999794960022,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1705","display_name":"Computer Networks and Communications"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10273","display_name":"IoT and Edge/Fog Computing","score":0.19089999794960022,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1705","display_name":"Computer Networks and Communications"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10764","display_name":"Privacy-Preserving Technologies in Data","score":0.1784999966621399,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10714","display_name":"Software-Defined Networks and 5G","score":0.08049999922513962,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1705","display_name":"Computer Networks and Communications"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/block","display_name":"Block (permutation group theory)","score":0.7132999897003174},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/lexicographical-order","display_name":"Lexicographical order","score":0.6913999915122986},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/convergence","display_name":"Convergence (economics)","score":0.5170000195503235},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/rate-of-convergence","display_name":"Rate of convergence","score":0.48890000581741333},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/order","display_name":"Order (exchange)","score":0.35589998960494995},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/optimization-problem","display_name":"Optimization problem","score":0.32190001010894775}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.7771000266075134},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777210771","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4927124","display_name":"Block (permutation group theory)","level":2,"score":0.7132999897003174},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C159254197","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1144915","display_name":"Lexicographical order","level":2,"score":0.6913999915122986},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777303404","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q759757","display_name":"Convergence (economics)","level":2,"score":0.5170000195503235},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C57869625","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1783502","display_name":"Rate of convergence","level":3,"score":0.48890000581741333},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C120314980","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q180634","display_name":"Distributed computing","level":1,"score":0.438400000333786},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C31258907","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1301371","display_name":"Computer network","level":1,"score":0.37450000643730164},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C182306322","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1779371","display_name":"Order (exchange)","level":2,"score":0.35589998960494995},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C137836250","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q984063","display_name":"Optimization problem","level":2,"score":0.32190001010894775},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C555944384","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q249","display_name":"Wireless","level":2,"score":0.3125},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C77618280","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1155772","display_name":"Scheme (mathematics)","level":2,"score":0.27379998564720154},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C157764524","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1383412","display_name":"Throughput","level":3,"score":0.27219998836517334},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C206729178","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2271896","display_name":"Scheduling (production processes)","level":2,"score":0.26600000262260437}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":2,"locations":[{"id":"pmh:doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.04436","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":null,"pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4406922384","display_name":"Open MIND","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Article"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.04436","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.04436","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":null,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"pmh:doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.04436","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":null,"pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4406922384","display_name":"Open MIND","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"pdf":false,"grobid_xml":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Federated":[0],"fine-tuning":[1,59,191],"of":[2,19,73,96,123,140],"large":[3,17],"language":[4],"models":[5],"(LLMs)":[6],"enables":[7],"collaborative":[8],"tuning":[9],"across":[10],"distributed":[11],"clients.":[12],"However,":[13],"due":[14],"to":[15,41,69,99,103,127,136,167,179,198],"the":[16,71,76,90,105,110,120,129,138,145,154,159,169],"size":[18],"LLMs,":[20],"local":[21],"updates":[22],"in":[23,49,88,101,125,193],"federated":[24,58,190],"learning":[25],"(FL)":[26],"may":[27,39],"incur":[28],"substantial":[29],"video":[30],"random-access":[31],"memory":[32],"(VRAM)":[33],"usage.":[34,112,150],"Moreover,":[35],"frequent":[36],"model":[37],"exchange":[38],"lead":[40],"significant":[42],"communication":[43,130,204],"overhead.":[44,131,205],"To":[45,151],"tackle":[46],"these":[47],"challenges,":[48],"this":[50,181],"paper":[51],"we":[52,162],"propose":[53,174],"ZorBA,":[54],"a":[55,83,202],"zeroth-order":[56,67],"optimization-based":[57],"framework":[60],"with":[61],"heterogeneous":[62,84],"block":[63,85,141,170],"activation.":[64],"ZorBA":[65,81,114,187],"leverages":[66],"optimization":[68,165],"eliminate":[70],"storage":[72],"gradients":[74,124],"at":[75],"clients":[77,100],"by":[78,196],"forward":[79],"passes.":[80],"includes":[82],"activation":[86,142,171],"mechanism":[87],"which":[89],"central":[91],"server":[92],"allocates":[93],"different":[94],"subsets":[95],"transformer":[97],"blocks":[98],"order":[102,126],"accelerate":[104],"convergence":[106,146,155],"rate":[107,147,156],"and":[108,119,148,157,200],"reduce":[109,128,158],"VRAM":[111,149,160,194],"Furthermore,":[113],"utilizes":[115],"shared":[116],"random":[117],"seeds":[118],"finite":[121],"differences":[122],"We":[132,173],"conduct":[133],"theoretical":[134],"analysis":[135],"characterize":[137],"effect":[139],"decisions":[143],"on":[144],"jointly":[152],"enhance":[153],"usage,":[161],"formulate":[163],"an":[164,175],"problem":[166],"optimize":[168],"decisions.":[172],"$\u03b5$-constraint":[176],"lexicographic":[177],"algorithm":[178],"solve":[180],"problem.":[182],"Experimental":[183],"results":[184],"show":[185],"that":[186],"outperforms":[188],"three":[189],"baselines":[192],"usage":[195],"up":[197],"62.41%":[199],"incurs":[201],"low":[203]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-04-04T16:13:02.066488","created_date":"2026-03-07T00:00:00"}
