Rewrite readme more novice-friendly

[clover1980]

Current Readme page are quite messy and very hard to understand for novices. I'm offering to rewriting it into more comsumable form. This description are prepared by Marco O1+Qwen merge model (which are very good & small) based on all the data i uploaded.

Available Merge Methods:

MergeKit offers a variety of merge methods that cater to different needs and computational capacities:

1. Linear (Model Soups):

   • Description: A simple weighted average of model parameters.
   • Use Cases: Best suited for combining models with similar architectures and initializations.
   • Pros: Fast, resource-efficient, easy to implement.
   • Cons: May not capture complex interactions between different models.

2. SLERP (Spherical Linear Interpolation):

   • Description: Spherically interpolates between model parameters of two models.
   • Use Cases: Ideal for fusing models with differing architectures or initializations but shares a base model.
   • Pros: Preserves certain geometric properties, can handle more diversity in models.
   • Cons: Requires careful parameter tuning; might be computationally intensive.

3. Task Arithmetic:

   • Description: Computes task vectors by subtracting a base model's parameters from each source model and performs arithmetic operations on these vectors.
   • Use Cases: Excellent for merging models that share a common ancestor, especially when fine-tuned for specific tasks.
   • Pros: Encourages semantic meaningfulness in merged weights; effective for combining multiple specialized models.
   • Cons: May require extensive computational resources.

4. TIES (Trim, Elect Sign & Merge):

   • Description: Sparsifies task vectors and applies a sign consensus algorithm to reduce interference between models.
   • Use Cases: Suitable when merging a large number of models while retaining their strengths.
   • Pros: Can handle more complex scenarios with multiple models; preserves model diversity.
   • Cons: More computationally demanding; requires careful parameter selection.

5. DARE (Drop And REscale):

   • Description: Applies random pruning to task vectors followed by rescaling to retain important changes while reducing interference.
   • Use Cases: Best for scenarios where maintaining key model features is crucial without overloading the system.
   • Pros: Balances performance and resource usage effectively; retains critical aspects of merged models.
   • Cons: May not be suitable for all types of models or tasks.

6. Model Breadcrumbs:

   • Description: Extends task arithmetic by discarding both small and extremely large differences from the base model, enhancing sparsity.
   • Use Cases: Ideal for merging multiple models with diverse characteristics while ensuring a balanced inclusion of their features.
   • Pros: Efficiently integrates multiple models without significant loss in performance; handles varied architectures well.
   • Cons: Requires detailed parameter tuning to achieve optimal results.

7. DELLA (DARE Enhanced Linear Approach):

   • Description: Builds upon DARE by using adaptive pruning based on parameter magnitudes, followed by rescaling for final merging.
   • Use Cases: Suitable when you need a fine-grained control over which aspects of the models to merge.
   • Pros: Offers more nuanced control; can tailor the merged model's behavior closely to desired outcomes.
   • Cons: More complex implementation; may require deeper computational resources.

8. Passthrough:

   • Description: A no-op method that passes input tensors through unmodified, typically used for layer stacking or when only one input model is involved.
   • Use Cases: Useful in scenarios where you want to stack multiple models sequentially without altering their parameters directly.
   • Pros: Minimal computational overhead; straightforward implementation.
   • Cons: Limited functionality; not suitable for merging two or more models comprehensively.

Recommendations Based on MergeKit's Capabilities:

1. For Beginners and Resource-Constrained Environments:

   • Start with the Linear (Model Soups) method due to its simplicity and lower resource requirements.
   • Example Model Pairing:
     • Models: GPT-NeoX, Llama
     • Method: Linear

2. For Advanced Users Seeking Enhanced Performance:

   • Consider using the Task Arithmetic or TIES methods for more nuanced merging.
   • Example Model Pairing:
     • Models: Mistral, StableLM
     • Method: Task Arithmetic

3. When Dealing with a Large Ensemble of Models:

   • Utilize the DARE or Model Breadcrumbs methods to manage and integrate multiple models efficiently.
   • Example Model Pairing:
     • Models: Multiple GPT-based models (e.g., GPT-NeoX, GPT-4)
     • Method: DARE

4. For Deep Architectural Merges:

   • Explore the DELLA method for more adaptive and controlled merging across diverse architectures.
   • Example Model Pairing:
     • Models: Transformer-based models with varying layer counts
     • Method: DELLA

5. Special Cases:

   • If you're aiming to create a mixture of experts, look into MergeKit's Mixture of Experts (MoE) merging capabilities.
   • Example Model Pairing:
     • Models: Sparse models with specialized layers for different tasks
     • Method: MoE

6. Utilizing GPU or CPU Execution:

   • Leverage GPU acceleration if available, especially with methods that are computationally intensive like SLERP, Task Arithmetic, TIES, DARE, and DELLA.
   • For CPU-based merging, the Linear method is more suitable due to its lower resource demands.

Additional Considerations:

• Tokenizer Source: Ensure that all models share a compatible tokenizer or use MergeKit's tokenizer management features to handle discrepancies.
• Parameter Specification: Flexibly specify parameters using tensor name filters for fine-grained control over which aspects of the models are merged.
• Lazy Loading and Memory Management: Utilize Lazy loading with tensors to optimize memory usage, especially in resource-constrained environments.

---

Example Scenario:

Suppose you want to merge two transformer-based models—GPT-NeoX and Llama—to enhance the model's knowledge base while ensuring that their core architectures remain intact. You decide to use the Task Arithmetic method because it allows merging models fine-tuned for different tasks, preserving their strengths without significant performance degradation.

1. Model Selection:

   • Primary Model: GPT-NeoX
   • Secondary Model: Llama

2. Method Chosen: Task Arithmetic (task_arithmetic)

3. Execution Environment: Utilize a GPU-accelerated environment to leverage the computational efficiency of this method.

4. Configuration Parameters:

   • Define task vectors by subtracting a base model's parameters from each source model.
   • Perform linear interpolation on these vectors to derive merged weights that combine the strengths of both models.

5. Post-Merge Optimization:

   • After merging, perform additional optimizations like pruning and fine-tuning if necessary to enhance performance further.

By following this structured approach, you can effectively utilize MergeKit to create a more robust and capable language model tailored to your specific needs.

Final Tips:

• Experimentation: Start with simpler methods like Linear before moving on to more complex algorithms.
• Documentation: Refer to MergeKit's extensive documentation for detailed explanations of each method and how they interact with different models.
• Community Support: Engage with the community or forums related to MergeKit for support and insights from other users.