{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7134957813","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.09463","title":"An Empirical Study and Theoretical Explanation on Task-Level Model-Merging Collapse","display_name":"An Empirical Study and Theoretical Explanation on Task-Level Model-Merging Collapse","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-03-10","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7134957813","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.09463"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.09463","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.09463","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":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"article"},"type":"preprint","indexed_in":["datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.09463","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5128710296","display_name":"Yuan Cao","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Cao, Yuan","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5032514248","display_name":"Dezhi Ran","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7916-255X"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Ran, Dezhi","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5107921456","display_name":"Y. Guo","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Guo, Yuzhe","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5128702388","display_name":"Mengzhou Wu","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Wu, Mengzhou","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5128783311","display_name":"Simin Chen","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Chen, Simin","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5128773471","display_name":"Linyi Li","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Li, Linyi","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5128700876","display_name":"Wei Yang","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Yang, Wei","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5128760869","display_name":"Tao Xie","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Xie, Tao","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"affiliations":[]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":0,"institutions_distinct_count":8,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5128710296"],"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/T12127","display_name":"Software System Performance and Reliability","score":0.38440001010894775,"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/T12127","display_name":"Software System Performance and Reliability","score":0.38440001010894775,"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/T10260","display_name":"Software Engineering Research","score":0.07000000029802322,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1710","display_name":"Information Systems"},"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/T10054","display_name":"Parallel Computing and Optimization Techniques","score":0.051500000059604645,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1708","display_name":"Hardware and Architecture"},"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/phenomenon","display_name":"Phenomenon","score":0.7942000031471252},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/task","display_name":"Task (project management)","score":0.626800000667572},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/empirical-research","display_name":"Empirical research","score":0.5684999823570251},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/reuse","display_name":"Reuse","score":0.4480000138282776},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/mode","display_name":"Mode (computer interface)","score":0.4066999852657318},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/failure-mode-and-effects-analysis","display_name":"Failure mode and effects analysis","score":0.31459999084472656}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C50335755","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q483247","display_name":"Phenomenon","level":2,"score":0.7942000031471252},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780451532","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q759676","display_name":"Task (project management)","level":2,"score":0.626800000667572},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.6129999756813049},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C120936955","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2155640","display_name":"Empirical research","level":2,"score":0.5684999823570251},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C206588197","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q846574","display_name":"Reuse","level":2,"score":0.4480000138282776},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C48677424","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6888088","display_name":"Mode (computer interface)","level":2,"score":0.4066999852657318},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C149782125","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q160039","display_name":"Econometrics","level":1,"score":0.34470000863075256},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C66283442","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1389268","display_name":"Failure mode and effects analysis","level":2,"score":0.31459999084472656},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778334786","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1586270","display_name":"Variation (astronomy)","level":2,"score":0.30880001187324524},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.30640000104904175},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C32022120","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q797225","display_name":"Interference (communication)","level":3,"score":0.3043999969959259},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C114289077","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3284399","display_name":"Statistical model","level":2,"score":0.2992999851703644},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C166052673","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q83021","display_name":"Empirical evidence","level":2,"score":0.2838999927043915},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C80444323","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2878974","display_name":"Theoretical computer science","level":1,"score":0.2799000144004822},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C180747234","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23373","display_name":"Cognitive psychology","level":1,"score":0.27810001373291016},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779662365","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5416694","display_name":"Event (particle physics)","level":2,"score":0.2712000012397766},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779679103","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5251805","display_name":"Degradation (telecommunications)","level":2,"score":0.26809999346733093}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.09463","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.09463","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":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.09463","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.09463","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":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":{"Model":[0],"merging":[1,26,50,70,88,101,120,134],"unifies":[2],"independently":[3],"fine-tuned":[4],"LLMs":[5],"from":[6,37],"the":[7,56,84],"same":[8],"base,":[9],"enabling":[10],"reuse":[11],"and":[12,82,106],"integration":[13],"of":[14,33,86,158],"parallel":[15],"development":[16],"efforts":[17],"without":[18],"retraining.":[19],"However,":[20],"in":[21,132],"practice":[22],"we":[23,80,109],"observe":[24],"that":[25,69,111],"does":[27],"not":[28],"always":[29],"succeed:":[30],"certain":[31,91],"combinations":[32,93],"task-specialist":[34],"models":[35],"suffer":[36],"catastrophic":[38],"performance":[39,97],"degradation":[40,98],"after":[41],"merging.":[42],"We":[43,136],"refer":[44],"to":[45],"this":[46,78,142],"failure":[47],"mode":[48],"as":[49],"collapse.":[51],"Intuitively,":[52],"collapse":[53],"arises":[54],"when":[55],"learned":[57],"representations":[58],"or":[59],"parameter":[60],"adjustments":[61],"for":[62],"different":[63],"tasks":[64,115],"are":[65],"fundamentally":[66],"incompatible,":[67],"so":[68],"forces":[71],"destructive":[72],"interference":[73],"rather":[74],"than":[75],"synergy.":[76],"In":[77],"paper,":[79],"identify":[81],"characterize":[83],"phenomenon":[85,143],"task-level":[87],"collapse,":[89,121],"where":[90],"task":[92,155],"consistently":[94],"trigger":[95],"huge":[96],"across":[99],"all":[100],"methods.":[102],"Through":[103],"extensive":[104],"experiments":[105],"statistical":[107],"analysis,":[108],"demonstrate":[110],"representational":[112],"incompatibility":[113],"between":[114],"is":[116],"strongly":[117],"correlated":[118],"with":[119,147],"while":[122],"parameter-space":[123],"conflict":[124],"metrics":[125],"show":[126],"minimal":[127],"correlation,":[128],"challenging":[129],"conventional":[130],"wisdom":[131],"model":[133],"literature.":[135],"provide":[137],"a":[138,148],"theoretical":[139],"explanation":[140],"on":[141,154],"through":[144],"rate-distortion":[145],"theory":[146],"dimension-dependent":[149],"bound,":[150],"establishing":[151],"fundamental":[152],"limits":[153],"mergeability":[156],"regardless":[157],"methodology.":[159]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-03-12T06:18:43.230356","created_date":"2026-03-12T00:00:00"}
