# Optimizing Humor Generation in Large Language Models: Temperature Configurations and Architectural Trade-offs

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.02858 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.02858/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 4 of its 40 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 31 Mar 2025.

## Builds on (most cited first, 4 of 4)

- [Attention Is All You Need](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1706.03762/) (2017)
- [Finetuned Language Models Are Zero-Shot Learners](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2109.01652/) (2021)
- [Token-Hungry, Yet Precise: DeepSeek R1 Highlights the Need for Multi-Step Reasoning Over Speed in MATH](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.18576/) (2025)
- [The Paradox of Stochasticity: Limited Creativity and Computational Decoupling in Temperature-Varied LLM Outputs of Structured Fictional Data](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.08515/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Large language models (LLMs) demonstrate increasing capabilities in creative text generation, yet systematic evaluations of their humor production remain underexplored. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of 13 state-of-the-art LLMs across five architectural families, evaluating their performance in generating technically relevant humor for software developers. Through a full factorial design testing 715 unique configurations of temperature settings and prompt variations, we assess model outputs using five weighted criteria: humor quality, domain relevance, concept originality, tone precision, and delivery efficiency. Our methodology employs rigorous statistical analysis including ANOVA, correlation studies, and quadratic regression to identify optimal configurations and architectural influences. Results reveal significant performance variations across models, with certain architectures achieving 21.8% superiority over baseline systems. Temperature sensitivity analysis demonstrates that 73% of models achieve peak performance at lower stochasticity settings (<= 0.5), though optimal ranges vary substantially by architecture. We identify distinct model clusters: compact high-performers maintaining efficiency-quality balance versus verbose specialists requiring longer outputs for marginal gains. Statistical validation confirms model architecture explains 38.7% of performance variance, with significant correlations between humor quality and concept originality. The study establishes practical guidelines for model selection and configuration, demonstrating how temperature adjustments and architectural considerations impact humor generation effectiveness. These findings advance understanding of LLM capabilities in creative technical writing and provide empirically validated configuration strategies for developers implementing humor-generation systems.