Discrete Lexical Symbol

Discrete lexical symbols, representing words or sub-word units as distinct tokens, are a focus of current research aiming to improve efficiency and interpretability in natural language processing. Researchers are exploring methods to integrate these discrete representations with continuous models, such as diffusion models and language models, often employing techniques like token enhancement and soft absorbing states to bridge the gap between discrete and continuous spaces. This work is significant because it addresses limitations of purely continuous representations, such as high computational cost and lack of interpretability, potentially leading to more efficient, robust, and explainable language processing systems.