[bug] investigate flat rewards

[felipemello1]

🐛 Describe the bug

python -m apps.sft.main --config apps/sft/qwen3_8b.yaml

https://wandb.ai/cabernet-team/grpo-training/runs/4o3ivvqu?nw=nwuserfelipemello

Versions

No response

[karthik19967829]

@felipemello1 can you share your avg math reward , does it have an upward trend?

[felipemello1]

no, its flat. We are currently investigating why its flat. I suspect that it is some bug with gsm8k, since we have seen training going well in other scenarios.

[felipemello1]

hmm, the peak actually seems to be related to something else. Here we have a huge number of samples generated. Perhaps some delay with flushing?

[sfc-gh-kganesan]

we are having the same issue with gsm8k #560

I suspect issue is with gsm8k reward as it seems to not use math_verify module like Verl

[felipemello1]

1. We inspected the output on step 7 and rewards look reasonable to me

[MathReward] Partial credit granted
  Target: 7.0 (searching for '7')
  Response sample: <think> Okay, let's see. So the problem is about figuring out how many pounds of strawberries Sally, Jenny, and Moses picked. The total amount they paid was $128, and they each had an entrance fee of $4. Then there's a standard price of $20 per pound. But Miguel deducts the entrance charge from the cost of the harvest. Hmm, so I need to figure out the total pounds they picked.  First, let me break down the information. Each person paid $4 to access the fields. But Miguel deducts that entrance charge from the cost of the harvest. Wait, so the total amount they paid is the total harvest cost minus the entrance charge? Or is the entrance charge subtracted from the total price?  Wait, the problem says "Miguel deducts the entrance charge from the cost of the harvest." So maybe the total amount they paid is the total harvest cost minus the entrance charge. Let me think.  Let me rephrase. The standard price is $20 per pound. So if they picked 'x' pounds, the total cost without any deductions would be 20x. But Miguel subtracts the entrance charge from the harvest cost. So the total amount they paid is 20x minus the entrance charge. But how many people are there?  Wait, the problem says Sally, Jenny, and Moses. So three people. Each paid $4. So total entrance charge is 3 * $4 = $12. So the total amount they paid was $128. So according to the problem, the total amount they paid is the harvest cost minus the entrance charge. So 20x - 12 = 128? Or is it 20x minus entrance charge equals total paid?  Wait, the wording is: "Miguel is a very generous man. He deducts the entrance charge from the cost of the harvest." So the cost of the harvest is the total cost of picking the strawberries, which would be 20x. Then he deducts the entrance charge of $12 from that cost. So the amount they paid is 20x - 12 = 128? Wait, but that would mean 20x = 128 + 12 = 140, so x = 7. But that seems too straightforward.  Wait, but maybe I need to think about it differently. Let me check again.  If the standard price is $20 per pound, then the total cost for the harvest would be 20 times the pounds picked. But Miguel deducts the entrance charge from the cost of the harvest. So the amount they paid is (20x - entrance charge). But the entrance charge is $4 per person, and there are three people. So entrance charge is 3*4=12. So total amount paid is 20x - 12 = 128. Then solving for x: 20x = 128 +12 = 140. So x=7. So they picked 7 pounds?  But that seems low. Wait, let me check if that's correct. Let me think again. Suppose they picked 7 pounds. The cost of the harvest would be 7*20=140. Then Miguel subtracts the entrance charge of $12, so they pay 140 -12=128. Which matches the total they paid. So yes, that works.  But maybe there's another way to interpret it. For example, maybe the entrance charge is subtracted from the total amount they paid. So the total amount they paid is the harvest cost minus entrance charge. So if they paid $128, then 128 = harvest cost - entrance charge. Therefore, harvest cost = 128 + 12 = 140. So 140 pounds at $20 per pound is 7 pounds. So that's the same answer. So the answer is 7 pounds.  Wait, but maybe the entrance charge is per person, and they paid $4 each, so total entrance charge is $12. Then total amount they paid is 128, which is the total harvest cost minus entrance charge. So yes, 128 +12=140, 140/20=7. So the answer is 7.  But let me check again if I misread the problem. The problem says "Miguel deducts the entrance charge from the cost of the harvest." So the cost of the harvest is the cost of picking the strawberries, which is 20x. Then he deducts the entrance charge from that. So the amount they pay is 20x - entrance charge. So entrance charge is 12, so 20x -12=128. Therefore, x= (1...
  → Reward: 0.1
[MathReward] Partial credit granted
  Target: 7.0 (searching for '7')
  Response sample: <think> Okay, let's see. So the problem is about Sally, Jenny, and Moses picking strawberries at Fruity Farm. They paid $128 in total for their harvest. The question is how many pounds of strawberries they picked.   First, let me recall the information given. Miguel charges each picker $4 to access the fields. Then, the standard price per pound is $20. But Miguel deducts the entrance charge from the cost of the harvest. So, the total amount they paid, $128, includes the entrance charge and the price of the strawberries.   Wait, so the entrance charge is $4 per person. But there are three people: Sally, Jenny, and Moses. So, how many entrance charges did they pay? Well, each of them pays $4, so total entrance charge is 3 times $4. Let me calculate that. 3 * 4 is 12 dollars. So, they paid $12 for entry.   Now, the total amount they paid was $128. That $128 includes the entrance charge and the value of the strawberries. Therefore, the value of the strawberries would be the total amount minus the entrance charge. So, $128 - $12 = $116.   But the standard price is $20 per pound. So, if they picked X pounds, then the total cost would be 20 * X. Therefore, 20X = 116.   Wait, but hold on. Let me make sure I'm not missing anything. The problem says Miguel deducts the entrance charge from the cost of the harvest. So does that mean that the $128 includes the entrance charge and the price of the strawberries? Or is the entrance charge subtracted from the total harvest cost, which is then the amount they pay?   Let me think again. The standard price is $20 per pound. So, if they picked X pounds, the total harvest cost would be 20X. But Miguel subtracts the entrance charge from that cost. So, the amount they actually pay is 20X - entrance charge. But the problem says they paid $128. So, 20X - entrance charge = 128.   Wait, but earlier I thought the entrance charge was $12, so 20X - 12 = 128. Then 20X = 140, so X = 7. But that would mean they picked 7 pounds. But let me check again.   Alternatively, maybe the entrance charge is per person, so each person pays $4, so three people would pay 3*4=12. Then, the total amount they paid is the price of the strawberries (20X) minus the entrance charge (12) equals 128. So 20X = 128 + 12 = 140. Therefore, X=7.   Yes, that seems right. So, the answer would be 7 pounds.   Wait, but let me check if I have the correct interpretation. The problem says "Miguel deducts the entrance charge from the cost of the harvest." So, the total cost of the harvest is the cost of the strawberries, and then Miguel subtracts the entrance charge. Therefore, the amount paid by the pickers is (cost of strawberries) - (entrance charge) = 128.   So, if the cost of the strawberries is 20X, then 20X - 12 = 128. Therefore, 20X = 140, X=7.   Yes, that seems correct. So the answer is 7 pounds.   But let me confirm once more. If they picked 7 pounds, the cost would be 7*20=140. Then, Miguel subtracts the entrance charge of 12, so 140 -12=128. That matches the amount they paid. So yes, 7 pounds.   Therefore, the answer is 7. </think>  The problem requires determining the number of pounds of strawberries picked by Sally, Jenny, and Moses, given their total payment of $128. Here's the step-by-step breakdown:  1. **Entrance Charge**: Each picker pays $4, and there are three people.      $$    3 \times 4 = 12 \text{ dollars}    $$  2. **Total Payment**: The total amount paid by the group is $128. This includes the entrance charge and the value of the strawberries.      $$    \text{Value of strawberries} = 128 - 12 = 116 \text{ dollars}    $$  3. **Standard Price per Pound**: The standard price is $...
  → Reward: 0.1
[MathReward] Partial credit granted
  Target: 7.0 (searching for '7')
  Response sample: <think> Okay, let's try to figure out how many pounds of strawberries Sally, Jenny, and Moses picked. So, the problem says that Miguel charges each picker $4 to access the fields. They paid a total of $128. The standard price per pound is $20, but Miguel subtracts the entrance fee from the harvest cost.   First, I need to figure out how many people picked strawberries. Since each person paid $4, and they three of them paid $128, I can divide $128 by $4 to get the number of people. Let me do that calculation. 128 divided by 4 is 32. So, there are 32 people picking strawberries.   Wait, but the question is asking for the total pounds of strawberries they picked. The standard price is $20 per pound. But Miguel deducts the entrance charge from the harvest cost. So, does that mean that the $128 they paid includes the entrance fee? Let me think.   If each person pays $4 to enter, and there are 32 people, then the total entrance charge is 32 times $4. Let me calculate that. 32 * 4 is 128. So, the $128 they paid includes the entrance fee. But the problem says that Miguel deducts the entrance charge from the cost of the harvest. So, the $128 is the amount they paid after deducting the entrance fee.   Therefore, the total cost of the harvest (before deducting the entrance fee) would be $128 plus the entrance fee. Wait, but the entrance fee is already part of the $128? Or is the $128 the total amount they paid, which includes the entrance fee and the harvest cost?   Let me re-read the problem. "Miguel charges each interested picker $4 to access the strawberry fields. Once there, people pick as many strawberries as they wish, and then take them to Miguel for weighing and pricing. This year, the standard price of a pound of strawberries is $20. Miguel is a very generous man. He deducts the entrance charge from the cost of the harvest. Sally, Jenny and Moses have just finished their strawberry picking and are headed home. They paid $128 for their harvest."  So, the total amount they paid is $128. The entrance charge is $4 per person, so for 3 people, it's 3*4=12. But the problem says they paid $128 for their harvest. Wait, maybe the $128 is the total amount they paid, which includes the entrance fee and the harvest cost. But Miguel deducts the entrance charge from the harvest cost. So, the total amount they paid is equal to the harvest cost minus the entrance charge. Wait, no. Let me think again.  Let me consider that the harvest cost is the total cost of picking and processing the strawberries. Miguel charges them $4 per person to enter. Then, he deducts that entrance charge from the harvest cost. So, the total amount they paid is the harvest cost minus the entrance charge. So, if they paid $128 for their harvest, that would be the harvest cost minus the entrance charge. Therefore, the harvest cost is $128 + entrance charge.   But the entrance charge is $4 per person. So, if there are 3 people, the entrance charge is 3*4=12. Therefore, the harvest cost is 128 + 12 = 140. Then, since the standard price is $20 per pound, the total pounds they picked is 140 divided by 20. Let me calculate that. 140 divided by 20 is 7. So, they picked 7 pounds.   Wait, but let me check if that's correct. If the entrance charge is $4 per person, and they paid $128 total, then the number of people is 128 divided by 4, which is 32. So 32 people. Then, the entrance charge is 32*4=128. But the problem says they paid $128 for their harvest. So, if the entrance charge is part of the $128, then the harvest cost is $128 minus the entrance charge? Wait, no. The problem says Miguel deducts the entrance charge from the cost of the harvest. So, the total amount they paid is the harvest cost minus the entrance charge.   So, if they paid $128 for their harvest, that would be harvest cost minus entrance charge. Therefore, harvest cost = 128 + entrance charge.   Entrance charge is 32 people * $4 = $128. Therefore, harvest cost is 128 + 1...
  → Reward: 0.1
[MathReward] Partial credit granted
  Target: 7.0 (searching for '7')
  Response sample: <think> Okay, let's see. So the problem is about figuring out how many pounds of strawberries Sally, Jenny, and Moses picked. Let me try to break it down step by step.  First, the setup: Miguel charges each picker $4 to access the strawberry fields. Then, they pick as many as they want, and later they take them to Miguel who prices them at $20 per pound. But Miguel deducts the entrance charge from the cost of the harvest. So, the total amount they paid is $128. The question is, how many pounds did they pick?  Let me think. Let's denote the number of people picking as 3, since it's Sally, Jenny, and Moses. Each paid $4, so total entrance charge would be 3 people * $4 = $12. But wait, the total they paid was $128. So, the $128 includes the entrance charge and the cost of the strawberries. But Miguel deducts the entrance charge from the harvest cost. So, the $128 is the total amount they paid, which is the harvest cost minus the entrance charge. Wait, no. Let me re-read that part.  "Miguel is a very generous man. He deducts the entrance charge from the cost of the harvest." So, the cost of the harvest would be the price per pound times the pounds picked, and then Miguel subtracts the entrance charge from that. So, the total amount they paid is (price per pound * pounds) - entrance charge. But the problem says they paid $128. So, if I let x be the number of pounds they picked, then the total cost would be 20x - 4*3 = 128? Wait, because there are three people, each paying $4, so total entrance charge is $12. Then, the total amount they paid is (20x) - 12 = 128. So, solving for x: 20x = 128 + 12 = 140, so x = 140 / 20 = 7. So, they picked 7 pounds.  Wait, let me check that again. Let me make sure. Total amount paid is $128. That includes the harvest price minus the entrance charge. So, the harvest price is 20 per pound, so if they picked x pounds, the total harvest cost is 20x. But Miguel subtracts the entrance charge, which is $12, so the total amount they paid is 20x - 12 = 128. Therefore, 20x = 128 +12 = 140, so x=7. So, 7 pounds. That seems straightforward. But let me check if I got the entrance charge right.  The entrance charge is $4 per person. There are three people, so 3*4=12. So yes, that's subtracted from the harvest cost. So total amount paid is 20x -12 = 128. Solving gives x=7. So, the answer is 7 pounds.  Wait, but is there any chance that the $128 already includes the entrance charge? The problem says "They paid $128 for their harvest." So, the $128 is the total amount they paid, which includes the entrance charge and the price of the strawberries. But Miguel deducts the entrance charge from the cost of the harvest. So, the total they paid is (harvest cost) - entrance charge. Therefore, harvest cost = total paid + entrance charge. So, 20x = 128 + 12 = 140. x=7. Yes, that seems correct.  Therefore, the answer should be 7 pounds. Let me just confirm with another approach. Suppose they picked 7 pounds. Then the harvest cost would be 7*20=140. Then Miguel subtracts the entrance charge of 12, so 140-12=128, which matches the amount they paid. So yes, that checks out. So the answer is 7 pounds. </think>  The problem states that Miguel charges $4 per person for entrance, and the standard price per pound is $20. Sally, Jenny, and Moses paid $128 in total for their harvest. The entrance charge for three people is $4 × 3 = $12. This amount is deducted from the harvest cost. Let $ x $ be the number of pounds picked.  The total amount paid by the group is the harvest cost minus the entrance charge: $$ 20x - 12 = 128 $$ Solving for $ x $: $$ 20x = 128 + 12 \\ 20...
  → Reward: 0.1
[ReferenceModel-0/1] 2025-11-12 07:14:23 INFO [GC] Performing periodic GC collection took 0.00 seconds
[MathReward] Answer tag found
  Target: 2.0 | Model: 2.0 | Diff: 0.00e+00 | Tolerance: 1.00e-06
  Response sample: <think> Okay, let's see. Jim has flour from three places: cupboard, counter, and pantry. He needs to figure out how many loaves of bread he can make. Each loaf requires 200g of flour.   First, I need to add up all the flour he has. The cupboard has 200g, counter has 100g, and pantry has 100g. So adding those together: 200 + 100 + 100. Let me do that math. 200 + 100 is 300, and 300 + 100 is 400. So total flour is 400g.  Now, each loaf needs 200g. So if he has 400g, how many times does 200 go into 400? Well, 200 times 2 is 400. So that would mean he can make 2 loaves. Wait, but maybe I should check if there's any leftover flour. If he uses 200g for the first loaf, that's 200g used. Then the second loaf is another 200g, so total 400g used. So yes, exactly 2 loaves.   But wait, is there any possibility that the flour is not fully used? Like, maybe he can't make a third loaf because he only has 200g left? But no, he has exactly 400g. 200g for each loaf. So two loaves. I think that's it. The answer should be 2 loaves. </think>  </think>  Jim has a total of 200g (cupboard) + 100g (counter) + 100g (pantry) = 400g of flour. Each loaf requires 200g of flour. Dividing the total flour by the amount needed per loaf: $ \frac{400}{200} = 2 $.   Thus, Jim can bake **2 loaves** of bread.  <answer>2</answer>...
  → Reward: 1.0 ✓
[MathReward] Answer tag found
  Target: 2.0 | Model: 2.0 | Diff: 0.00e+00 | Tolerance: 1.00e-06
  Response sample: <think> Okay, let's see. Jim has flour from three places: cupboard, counter, and pantry. He needs 200g per loaf. First, I need to add up all the flour he has.  Cupboard has 200g, counter has 100g, and pantry has 100g. So total flour is 200 + 100 + 100. Let me add those: 200 + 100 is 300, plus another 100 is 400g total.   Now, each loaf needs 200g. So how many times does 200 go into 400? Well, 200 times 2 is 400. So he can make two loaves. Wait, is there any catch here? The problem says "how many loaves can Jim bake," and the flour is all combined. So yeah, 400g divided by 200g per loaf is 2. So the answer should be 2 loaves.   But let me check again. 200g for each loaf. So 200g * 1 = 200g, 200g * 2 = 400g. Since he has exactly 400g, he can make two loaves. No leftovers. So yeah, 2 is the answer. </think>  igators  To determine how many loaves of bread Jim can bake, we first calculate the total amount of flour he has:  - Cupboard: 200g   - Kitchen counter: 100g   - Pantry: 100g    Total flour = 200g + 100g + 100g = **400g**.  Each loaf requires **200g** of flour. To find the number of loaves Jim can bake:  $$ \frac{400\ \text{g}}{200\ \text{g/loaf}} = 2\ \text{loaves} $$  Jim can bake **2 loaves** of bread.  <answer> 2 </answer>...
  → Reward: 1.0 ✓
[MathReward] Answer tag found
  Target: 2.0 | Model: 2.0 | Diff: 0.00e+00 | Tolerance: 1.00e-06
  Response sample: <think> Okay, let's see. Jim has flour from different places: cupboard, counter, and pantry. He needs to figure out how many loaves of bread he can bake. Each loaf requires 200 grams of flour. So first, I need to calculate the total amount of flour he has.  He has 200g in the cupboard, 100g on the counter, and 100g in the pantry. Let me add those up. 200 plus 100 is 300, and then plus another 100 makes it 400 grams total. So he has 400 grams of flour.  Now, each loaf needs 200 grams. To find out how many loaves he can make, I divide the total flour by the amount needed per loaf. So 400 divided by 200. That equals 2. So he can make two loaves of bread.  Wait, let me check again. 200g per loaf. Two loaves would be 2 times 200, which is 400g. Yep, exactly. So the total flour is 400g, and each loaf uses 200g. So 400 divided by 200 is 2. That seems right. I don't think there's any waste or anything else here. He has enough flour to make two loaves. So the answer should be 2. </think>  To determine how many loaves of bread Jim can bake, we first calculate the total amount of flour he has:  - Cupboard: 200g   - Counter: 100g   - Pantry: 100g    Total flour = 200g + 100g + 100g = **400g**    Each loaf requires **200g** of flour. Dividing the total flour by the amount needed per loaf:   $$ \frac{400\ \text{g}}{200\ \text{g/loaf}} = 2\ \text{loaves} $$  **Answer:** <answer>2</answer>...
  → Reward: 1.0 ✓
[MathReward] Answer tag found
  Target: 2.0 | Model: 2.0 | Diff: 0.00e+00 | Tolerance: 1.00e-06
  Response sample: <think> Okay, let's see. Jim wants to bake loaves of bread, and he has flour from different places: cupboard, counter, and pantry. Let me add up all the flour he has.  So, the cupboard has 200g, counter has 100g, and pantry has 100g. Adding those together: 200 + 100 is 300, plus another 100 makes 400 grams total. Right?  Now, each loaf needs 200g of flour. So, if he has 400g total, how many loaves can he make? Well, 400 divided by 200 is 2. So, he can make two loaves. Wait, is there anything else I need to consider? Like, maybe the flour is in different places, but the problem says he has 200g in the cupboard, 100g on the counter, and 100g in the pantry. So, total is 400g. Each loaf is 200g. So, 400 divided by 200 is exactly 2. So, the answer should be 2 loaves. I think that's it. Let me check again. 200 + 100 + 100 is 400. 400 divided by 200 is 2. Yep, that's correct. </think>  The total amount of flour Jim has is 200g (cupboard) + 100g (counter) + 100g (pantry) = 400g. Each loaf requires 200g of flour. Dividing the total flour by the required amount per loaf:   $ \frac{400\ \text{g}}{200\ \text{g/loaf}} = 2\ \text{loaves} $.    <answer>2</answer>...
  → Reward: 1.0 ✓
[ReferenceModel-0/1] 2025-11-12 07:14:25 INFO [GC] Performing periodic GC collection took 0.00 seconds
[TitanTrainer-0/1] 2025-11-12 07:14:26 INFO [GC] Performing periodic GC collection took 0.19 seconds
[TitanTrainer-0/1] 2025-11-12 07:14:27 INFO Pushing weights for policy version 9
[MathReward] No match
  Target: 130.0 | Answer tag: NOT found
  Response sample: <think> Okay, let's try to figure out this problem. So, we have Earl, Fred, and Greg with different amounts of money, and there are some debts between them. The question is, when all debts are paid, how much will Greg and Earl have together?  First, I need to understand the situation. Let me list out the information given:  - Earl has $90. - Fred has $48. - Greg has $36.  Then, the debts: - Earl owes Fred $28. - Fred owes Greg $32. - Greg owes Earl $40.  So, when all debts are paid, we need to find the total amount that Greg and Earl have together. Hmm. Let me think about how to approach this.  I remember that when dealing with debts, it's often helpful to think about it as a flow of money. Like, if someone owes money to another, that's like a transfer of money. But sometimes, it's easier to think in terms of net gain or loss for each person.  Alternatively, maybe we can model this as a system of equations or think about the net amount each person has after all debts are settled.  Wait, but maybe there's a simpler way. Let me think: the total amount of money in the system is the sum of all the initial amounts. But since there are debts, the total amount of money isn't necessarily what's left after debts are paid, because debts can be settled. But actually, if all debts are paid, the total amount of money should remain the same. So maybe the total money is fixed, and we can calculate the final amounts for each person.  Let me check that. The total initial money is Earl's $90 + Fred's $48 + Greg's $36. Let me calculate that: 90 + 48 is 138, plus 36 is 174. So total money is $174.  Now, if all debts are paid, the total money should still be $174. So, the sum of Greg and Earl's money after debts are paid should be equal to 174 minus Fred's money. Because Fred is the one who has some money, but he also owes money to others. Wait, but maybe not. Let me think again.  Actually, the total money is fixed. So regardless of debts, the total amount of money is 174. So, if we can find out how much each person has after all debts are settled, then adding Greg and Earl's amounts together would be 174 minus Fred's amount. Because Fred's money is being used to pay off debts, but maybe he ends up with some money left?  Wait, but we need to figure out how the debts affect each person's net amount. Let me think step by step.  First, let's consider each person's net amount. For example, Earl owes Fred $28. So, Earl is indebted to Fred, meaning Earl has to give Fred $28. Conversely, Fred owes Greg $32, so Fred has to give Greg $32. Greg owes Earl $40, so Greg has to give Earl $40.  So, if we consider each person's net amount, it's like:  For Earl: - He has $90, but he owes Fred $28. So his net is 90 - 28 = 62? Wait, but does that mean he has to give $28 to Fred, so his net is 90 - 28 = 62? But he might also receive money from others?  Wait, but maybe we need to think about all the debts. Let's try to model the net amount each person ends up with.  But perhaps another approach is to imagine that each debt is settled, so the total amount each person has is initial amount plus or minus the debts they owe or are owed.  But this might get complicated. Let me try again.  Let me think of each person's net gain or loss.  For Earl: - He owes Fred $28. So he has to pay Fred $28. So Earl's net is -28. - He also owes Greg $40? Wait, no. Wait, the debts are Earl owes Fred $28, Fred owes Greg $32, Greg owes Earl $40.  So, Earl has two debts: he owes Fred $28 and he is owed by Greg $40. So his net is: he pays $28 to Fred, but receives $40 from Greg. So his net is 90 (initial) -28 (to Fred) +40 (from Greg) = 90 -28 +40 = 102?  Wait, but if he's owed $40 by Greg, then his net is 90 +40 -28? Because he's receiving $40 from Greg...
  → Reward: 0.0
[MathReward] No match
  Target: 130.0 | Answer tag: NOT found
  Response sample: <think> Okay, let's try to figure out this problem. So, Earl, Fred, and Greg have some money, but there are debts between them. The question is, when all debts are paid, how much will Greg and Earl have together?  First, I need to understand the current amounts each person has and then account for the debts. Let me jot down the numbers:  - Earl has $90 - Fred has $48 - Greg has $36  Now, the debts:  - Earl owes Fred $28 - Fred owes Greg $32 - Greg owes Earl $40  I think the key here is to figure out the net amount each person ends up with after all debts are settled. But how exactly do the debts work? Are these debts like a loan where they need to pay back? Or is it like a mutual debt where each person's debt is settled?  Let me think. If Earl owes Fred $28, that means Earl has to give Fred $28. Similarly, Fred owes Greg $32, so Fred has to give Greg $32. And Greg owes Earl $40, so Greg has to give Earl $40.  But to find out how much Greg and Earl have together, maybe I need to find out each person's net gain or loss from these debts.  Alternatively, maybe I can model this as a net amount each person has. Let's consider each person's initial amount and then subtract or add the debts.  But wait, since debts are mutual, maybe I need to adjust the amounts considering the direction of the debts.  Let me try this approach:  Starting with Earl:  Earl has $90. He owes Fred $28. So, Earl's net is $90 minus $28. But then he also has to receive something from others. Wait, but Fred owes him $32? Wait, no. Wait, the debts are:  Earl owes Fred $28. So Earl's debt is to Fred. So Earl has to pay Fred $28. So Earl's net is 90 - 28 = 62. But then, Fred owes Greg $32. So Fred has to pay Greg $32. So Fred's net would be 48 - 32 = 16. Then Greg owes Earl $40, so Greg has to pay Earl $40. So Greg's net is 36 - 40 = -4. But maybe this is not the right way.  Alternatively, maybe I should consider that each debt is a transfer. So, the total amount of money in the system is 90 + 48 + 36 = 174. But then the debts might be creating some net movement.  But maybe we can think of it as a flow of money. Let's think of the debts as transactions.  Earl owes Fred $28. So, Earl gives Fred $28. So, Earl's money decreases by 28, Fred's increases by 28.  Fred owes Greg $32. So, Fred gives Greg $32. Fred's money decreases by 32, Greg's increases by 32.  Greg owes Earl $40. So, Greg gives Earl $40. Greg's money decreases by 40, Earl's increases by 40.  So, let's compute the net change for each person:  Earl's final amount:  Starts with 90.  Subtract 28 (owing Fred) and add 40 (receiving from Greg). So 90 - 28 + 40 = 102.  Fred's final amount:  Starts with 48.  Subtract 28 (owing Earl) and add 32 (receiving from Greg). Wait, no. Wait, Fred's debts: he owes Earl $28? Wait, no. Wait, the debts are:  Earl owes Fred $28. So Fred's debt is to Earl? Wait, no. If Earl owes Fred money, that means Fred has to receive money from Earl. So Fred's net would be 48 + 28 (from Earl) minus whatever he owes others.  Wait, maybe I need to think of each person's total.  Let me think again. Let's track each person's net change.  Earl's net: starts with $90. He has to pay Fred $28, and he receives from Greg $40. So net change for Earl: -28 + 40 = +12. So Earl ends with 90 + 12 = 102.  Fred's net: starts with $48. He has to pay Earl $28 (because Earl owes him $28) and he also has to pay Greg $32 (because Fred owes Greg $32). So his net change: -28 (...
  → Reward: 0.0
[MathReward] No match
  Target: 130.0 | Answer tag: NOT found
  Response sample: <think> Okay, let me try to figure out this problem step by step. So, we have three people: Earl, Fred, and Greg. Each has a certain amount of money, but there are debts between them. The question is asking how much Greg and Earl will have together when all debts are paid.  First, let me list out the initial amounts each person has:  - Earl has $90 - Fred has $48 - Greg has $36  Now, the debts:  - Earl owes Fred $28 - Fred owes Greg $32 - Greg owes Earl $40  I need to figure out the net amount each person ends up with after all debts are paid. Maybe I can start by looking at each person's net gain or loss from the debts.  Let me think about the debts as transactions. If someone owes money to another, that's like a liability for the debtor and an asset for the creditor. So, for example, Earl owes Fred $28. That means Earl has a debt of $28 to Fred. So, if we consider the net amount each person has, maybe we can adjust their initial amounts by subtracting or adding the debts.  But I need to be careful here. Let me try to model this.  Let me consider each person's net amount after all debts are settled. Let's start with Earl.  Earl has $90. He owes Fred $28. So, Earl's net would be his initial amount minus the amount he owes, plus any money he receives from others. But wait, he owes Fred $28, which means he has to give Fred $28. So, Earl's net would be $90 - $28 = $62? But then, he also might receive money from others. But he might owe money to Greg as well. Let me check the other debts.  Fred owes Greg $32. So, Fred has a debt of $32 to Greg. So, Fred's net would be his initial amount minus $32, which is $48 - $32 = $16. But Fred might also receive money from others. However, Fred is owed by Greg? Wait, Greg owes Earl $40. So, Greg has a debt of $40 to Earl. So, Greg's net would be his initial amount minus $40, which is $36 - $40 = -$4. But Greg might receive money from others.  Wait, maybe I need to think of the debts as transactions. Let me try to calculate the net amount each person has after all debts are settled.  Let me think in terms of net cash flow for each person.  For Earl:  He has $90. He owes Fred $28. So, he has to give $28 to Fred. So, Earl's net is $90 - $28 = $62. But he also owes Greg $40? Wait, no. Wait, Greg owes Earl $40. So, Greg has to give Earl $40. So, Earl's net would be $90 - $28 (to Fred) - $40 (to Greg) = $90 - $68 = $22. Wait, but then, is there any money Earl receives? The debts are only between the three. Let me check.  Fred owes Greg $32. So, Fred has to give Greg $32. So, Fred's net is $48 - $32 = $16. But he might receive money from others? Wait, no. The debts are only between the three. So, if Earl owes Fred $28, Fred owes Greg $32, and Greg owes Earl $40. So, the total debts are:  Earl's debts: owes $28 to Fred.  Fred's debts: owes $32 to Greg.  Greg's debts: owes $40 to Earl.  So, in terms of net cash flow for each person:  For Earl:  Initial amount: $90  Minus what he owes: $28 (to Fred) + $40 (to Greg) = $68  Plus any money he receives: from Fred? Let's see. If Earl owes Fred $28, then Fred is owed by Earl, so Fred would have $28 more. But does Fred give Earl anything? No, unless there's a transaction. Wait, maybe I need to think of it as a circular debt.  Alternatively, maybe I should think of the net amount each person has after all debts are settled. Let me try to compute it as the sum of their initial amounts minus the total amount they owe others, plus the total amount they receive from others.  But perhaps another approach is to consider that each debt is a transfer of money. Let's think of the debts as follows:  - Earl has to give $28 to Fred. So, Earl's net is -2...
  → Reward: 0.0
[MathReward] Partial credit granted
  Target: 130.0 (searching for '130')
  Response sample: <think> Okay, let's try to figure out how much Greg and Earl will have together after all the debts are paid. So, first, let me list out the initial amounts each person has and then the debts they owe.  Earl has $90, Fred has $48, and Greg has $36. Now, the debts: Earl owes Fred $28, Fred owes Greg $32, and Greg owes Earl $40. Hmm, so there are three debts here. Let me think about how these debts affect their net amounts.  I remember that when someone owes money, it's like they have to give that amount to someone else. So, if Earl owes Fred $28, that means Earl has to give Fred $28. Similarly, Fred owes Greg $32, so Fred has to give Greg $32. And Greg owes Earl $40, so Greg has to give Earl $40.  But wait, how do these debts affect their total money? Maybe I should calculate the net amount each person has after paying off all their debts. Let me think.  First, let's consider each person's initial amount and then subtract the debts they owe, and add the debts they are owed. For example, if Earl owes Fred $28, that means Earl is short by $28, so he needs to receive $28 from Fred. But Fred owes Greg $32, so Fred is short by $32, so he needs to receive $32 from Greg. And Greg owes Earl $40, so Greg is short by $40, so he needs to receive $40 from Earl.  But maybe another way to look at it is to calculate the net amount each person has after all debts are settled. Let me try that.  Starting with Earl: He has $90. He owes Fred $28, so he effectively has $90 - $28 = $62. But he also receives $40 from Greg (since Greg owes him $40), so his total becomes $62 + $40 = $102. Wait, is that right?  Wait, no. Wait, when you owe someone money, you are giving them money. So if Earl owes Fred $28, he's giving Fred $28. But if Greg owes Earl $40, that means Earl is getting $40 from Greg. So, Earl's net change would be: he gives Fred $28 and receives $40 from Greg. So total change is -28 + 40 = +12. So, starting with $90, he ends up with $90 + $12 = $102.  But let me check that again. Alternatively, maybe think about the net amount each person is owed or owes. Let's see:  Earl's debts: he owes Fred $28 and is owed $40 (from Greg). So net change for Earl: -28 + 40 = +12. So total money Earl has is initial $90 + $12 = $102.  Fred's debts: he owes Greg $32 and is owed $28 (from Earl). So net change for Fred: -32 + 28 = -4. So his total money is initial $48 - $4 = $44.  Greg's debts: he owes Earl $40 and is owed $32 (from Fred). So net change for Greg: -40 + 32 = -8. So his total money is initial $36 - $8 = $28.  Wait, but if that's the case, then Greg and Earl have $28 and $102. Together, that's $130. But let me check again because I might have messed up the direction of the debts.  Alternatively, maybe I should consider the entire system as a flow of money. Let me try that approach.  The total money in the system is the sum of all initial amounts: 90 + 48 + 36 = 174 dollars.  Now, the debts are:  - Earl owes Fred $28. So, this is a transfer of $28 from Earl to Fred.  - Fred owes Greg $32. So, transfer of $32 from Fred to Greg.  - Greg owes Earl $40. Transfer of $40 from Greg to Earl.  So, total amount transferred is 28 + 32 + 40 = 100 dollars. But since these are debts, the total amount of money in the system should remain the same. Wait, but if you're just moving money around, the total amount is still 174. But when you take into account the debts, maybe the net effect is that the total money in the hands of the people is adjusted by these transfers.  But how does that affect the final...
  → Reward: 0.1
[ReferenceModel-0/1] 2025-11-12 07:14:30 INFO [GC] Performing periodic GC collection took 0.00 seconds
[MathReward] Answer tag found but invalid number
  Target: 700.0 | Answer text: '\$700'
  → Continuing to check for partial credit...
[MathReward] Partial credit granted
  Target: 700.0 (searching for '700')
  Response sample: <think> Okay, let's see. Johnny wants to buy 10,000 ping pong balls, each costing $0.10. But he gets a 30% discount on the total price. So first, I need to calculate the original total cost without any discount. Then apply the 30% discount to that amount.  First, the original price per ball is $0.10. So for 10,000 balls, that's 10,000 multiplied by $0.10. Let me do that math. 10,000 times 0.10 is $1,000. So the original total is $1,000.  Now, he gets a 30% discount. A 30% discount means he pays 70% of the original price. So I need to calculate 70% of $1,000. How do I do that? Well, 10% of 1,000 is $100, so 70% would be 7 times $100, which is $700. Wait, let me check that again. 10% is $100, so 30% is 3 times that, which is $300. So 70% is 1,000 minus 300, which is $700. Yeah, that's right.  So Johnny pays $700 in total. Let me just make sure I didn't make any mistakes. Original price: 10,000 * $0.10 = $1,000. Discount: 30% of $1,000 is $300. Subtract that from the original total: $1,000 - $300 = $700. Yep, that seems correct.  Alternatively, another way to calculate the discounted price is to multiply the original total by (1 - 0.30), which is 0.70. So $1,000 * 0.70 = $700. Same answer. So I think that's right. Therefore, the amount Johnny pays is $700. </think>  To determine how much Johnny pays for the ping pong balls, follow these steps:  1. **Calculate the original total cost without discount:**    $$    10,000 \text{ balls} \times \$0.10/\text{ball} = \$1,000    $$  2. **Apply the 30% discount:**    A 30% discount means Johnny pays 70% of the original total.    $$    70\% \times \$1,000 = 0.70 \times \$1,000 = \$700    $$  **Final Answer:** ...
  → Reward: 0.1
[MathReward] Answer tag found
  Target: 700.0 | Model: 700.0 | Diff: 0.00e+00 | Tolerance: 1.00e-06
  Response sample: <think> Okay, let's see. Johnny wants to buy 10,000 ping pong balls, each costing $0.10. But he gets a 30% discount because he's buying a bulk amount. I need to figure out how much he ends up paying.  First, I should calculate the original total cost without any discount. So, 10,000 balls times $0.10 each. Let me do that math: 10,000 * 0.10 = $1,000. So the original price is $1,000.  Now, there's a 30% discount. To find the discount amount, I need to calculate 30% of $1,000. That would be 0.30 * 1000 = $300. So the discount is $300.  Then, subtract the discount from the original price to get the final amount. $1,000 - $300 = $700. Therefore, Johnny pays $700.  Wait, let me double-check. Alternatively, sometimes discounts can be applied differently, but usually, a 30% discount on $1,000 would be 30% off. So yes, 30% of 1000 is 300. So subtracting that gives 700. That seems right. So the answer should be $700. </think>  The original cost for 10,000 ping pong balls at $0.10 each is $1,000. A 30% discount on $1,000 is $300. Subtracting the discount from the original price gives $1,000 - $300 = $700.  <answer>700</answer>...
  → Reward: 1.0 ✓
[MathReward] Answer tag found
  Target: 700.0 | Model: 700.0 | Diff: 0.00e+00 | Tolerance: 1.00e-06
  Response sample: <think> Okay, let's see. Johnny wants to buy 10,000 ping pong balls, each costing $0.10. But he gets a 30% discount because he's buying in bulk. I need to figure out how much he ends up paying.  First, I should calculate the original total cost without any discount. So, 10,000 balls multiplied by $0.10 each. Let me do that: 10,000 * 0.10 = $1,000. So, the original price is $1,000.  But there's a 30% discount. To find the discount amount, I calculate 30% of $1,000. That would be 0.30 * 1000 = $300. So, the discount is $300.  Now, subtract the discount from the original price to get the final price. So, $1,000 - $300 = $700. Therefore, Johnny pays $700.  Wait, let me double-check. If each ball is $0.10, 10,000 balls would be 10,000 * 0.10 = $1,000. A 30% discount on that would be 30% of 1,000, which is $300. So, subtracting gives $700. Yep, that seems right. So the answer should be $700. </think>  The original price for 10,000 ping pong balls is $0.10 each, so $1,000. A 30% discount on $1,000 is $300. Subtracting the discount gives $1,000 - $300 = $700.  <answer>700</answer>...
  → Reward: 1.0 ✓
[MathReward] Answer tag found
  Target: 700.0 | Model: 700.0 | Diff: 0.00e+00 | Tolerance: 1.00e-06
  Response sample: <think> Okay, let's see. Johnny wants to buy 10,000 ping pong balls, each costing $0.10. But he gets a 30% discount because he bought a lot. I need to figure out how much he ends up paying.  First, I should calculate the original total cost without any discount. So, 10,000 balls times $0.10 each. Let me do that math: 10,000 * 0.10 = $1,000. So, the original price is $1,000.  Now, there's a 30% discount. To find the discount amount, I need to calculate 30% of $1,000. 30% is the same as 0.30 in decimal. So, 1,000 * 0.30 = $300. That means the discount is $300.  Therefore, the discounted price would be the original price minus the discount. So, $1,000 - $300 = $700.   Wait, let me check if I did that right. 30% of 1000 is indeed 300. So subtracting that from 1000 gives 700. Yes, that seems correct.  But wait, another way to think about it is to calculate the discounted price directly. If you take 70% of the original price because you're getting 30% off. So, 70% of 1000 is 0.70 * 1000 = $700. Yep, same answer.  So, Johnny pays $700 in total. I think that's it. Let me just make sure there's no other factors. The problem says he buys 10,000 for a prank, so the number of balls is exact. The price per ball is $0.10, and the discount is 30%. So, the calculation seems straightforward. I don't see any tricks here. The answer should be $700. </think>  The original cost of 10,000 ping pong balls at $0.10 each is $1,000. A 30% discount reduces the total by $300 (30% of $1,000). Subtracting the discount from the original cost gives $1,000 - $300 = $700.  <answer>$700</answer>...
  → Reward: 1.0 ✓

2. We also checked that weights are being updated in trainer/generator, but we should double check that. The hypothesis was that if rewards are flat, then no updates are happening.

[sfc-gh-truwase]

2. We also checked that weights are being updated in trainer/generator, but we should double check that. The hypothesis was that if rewards are flat, then no updates are happening.

@felipemello1 I had this same suspicion, and so I set lr=0 to disable weight updates. As the plot shows, lr=0 (purple curve) is identical to default (blue curve). Have you tried this on your side?

[karthik19967829]

@felipemello1 attempted a fix with this #571 please do check if thats the issue

[felipemello1]

hey @sfc-gh-truwase , this is what we have figure out on our side so far

I ran experiments to diagnose the issue and here is the conclusions and suggested improvements.
Original max_res_tokens was set 1024 based on avg_tokens_generated. However, tracking max_token_generated revealed many LLM responses were truncated (while the answers are always at the end). This created episodes that are incorrectly given 0 reward. Experiments with max_res_tokens=2048 showed increased rewards  ==> should set the max_res_tokens higher and should drop episodes that are truncated. ���
groups with advantage=0 (same rewards for all episodes in the group) should not be included as it'll make loss meaningless. Experiment including advantage=0 shows lower L2 Norm differences of params in trainer step, which means model is not learning and wasting cycles  ==> should drop episodes with reward std dev < 0.001 (or some value)
�
SUM(rewards) shouldn't be used to track the progress as there are differences in number of episodes generated (or sampled) per step. ==> should track AVG(rewards) - generated and sampled
��
Based on all above changes, it shows that QWEN3 1.7B already achieves 0.8~0.9 of avg rewards on GSM9k from the start, which would be very hard to improve using traditional RL training ==> it shouldn't be used for an example scenario in README, and it should be changed to other datasets that are harder or the model is not already trained for.

[felipemello1]

We also know that this RL example works well in Torchtune, but the rewards are different, with format being 0-1, and accuracy 0-100, while forge everything is 0-1. We have to test the torchtune reward fn

https://github.com/shangshang-wang/Tora/blob/main/recipes/configs/qwen3/0.6B_full_grpo.yaml#L106-L115

[sfc-gh-truwase]

@felipemello1 thanks for the update. I will try the tips you shared above and report back. Do you mind sharing your wandb plots based on those changes?

[sfc-gh-truwase]

@felipemello1 I think it would be helpful for users if you included expected results or plots in grpo example folder. Given the multiple nuances with RL training, having a reference point would be very helpful to debug and create meaningful issues. Thanks!

[felipemello1]

thanks for offering @sfc-gh-truwase! we are testing it on our end so its apples to apples. Let me get back to you later today. But the evidence so far seems to point that gsm8k is just too easy for qwen 1.7B and avg reward for math ~0.8-0.9 already. If you would like to run a test, perhaps implement some other task, e.g. invert words and confirm rewards improve?