Summary
In this chapter, we explored various model pruning techniques for LLMs, including magnitude-based pruning, structured versus unstructured pruning, and iterative pruning methods. We discussed the trade-offs involved in pruning during training versus post-training, and the importance of fine-tuning after pruning to recover lost performance. By combining pruning with other compression techniques, such as quantization and distillation, you can create more efficient LLMs suitable for deployment in resource-constrained environments.
In the next chapter, we’ll explore quantization techniques for LLMs, focusing on reducing numerical precision to improve model efficiency while maintaining performance. You’ll learn how to apply post-training and quantization-aware training to optimize your LLMs further.