Understanding variability.
THE CAUSE
Token selection involves randomness. Unless the setting is minimal, the same input produces different output.
WHY THIS IS DELIBERATE
Purely deterministic output is repetitive and frequently worse.
Variation produces more natural and more useful results for most tasks.
WHAT IT MEANS PRACTICALLY
You cannot rely on identical output from identical input Regenerating is a legitimate technique when an answer is poor A good result may not be reproducible exactly
WHEN VARIABILITY IS A PROBLEM
Extracting structured data, where consistency matters Automated systems expecting a particular format Anything requiring repeatability
HOW TO REDUCE IT
Lower the temperature setting, where available Specify the output format precisely Provide examples of the exact form you want
HOW TO USE IT
Generate several versions and choose the best Regenerate when the first attempt misses
THE HABIT
If an answer seems poor, try again before concluding the model cannot do it.
The second attempt is frequently better, and that costs nothing.
