Don't Equate Intermediate Token Length with Complexity

rao2z · x · 2026-07-15

The author points out a common misconception: equating the length of intermediate tokens with problem complexity.

Continuing the discussion on R1-RL and Intermediate Tokens, the core message is a reminder that longer chain-of-thought outputs do not inherently mean the underlying problem is more complex. Evaluations should avoid mistaking surface-level length for true complexity.

Related event: Clarifying Misconceptions Around R1-RL and Intermediate Tokens(4 posts)→

Original post →

More from Research

Research channel →