Neural Network Quantization

Neural network quantization studies how to use lower-precision numbers for model weights, activations, caches, and training states while preserving useful behavior. Post-training quantization adjusts a trained model using calibration data or reconstruction objectives, while quantization-aware training exposes the model to low precision during optimization; rotations, outlier handling, and mixed-precision allocation are common techniques. Work spans language models and KV caches, vision and diffusion models, and edge devices, with quality measured using benchmarks such as ImageNet, language-model perplexity, reasoning tasks, and generative quality. A central tension is that lower bit widths do not guarantee faster or safer deployment: accuracy and behavior can shift, and real gains depend on hardware, kernels, and the task being evaluated.