WAVE++: Capturing Within-Task Variance for Continual Relation Extraction with Adaptive Prompting

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Main Authors: Dao, Bao-Ngoc, Le, Minh, Nguyen, Quang, Dinh, Luyen Ngo, Le, Nam, Van, Linh Ngo
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Dao, Bao-Ngoc
Le, Minh
Nguyen, Quang
Dinh, Luyen Ngo
Le, Nam
Van, Linh Ngo
author_facet Dao, Bao-Ngoc
Le, Minh
Nguyen, Quang
Dinh, Luyen Ngo
Le, Nam
Van, Linh Ngo
contents Memory-based approaches have shown strong performance in Continual Relation Extraction (CRE). However, storing examples from previous tasks increases memory usage and raises privacy concerns. Recently, prompt-based methods have emerged as a promising alternative, as they do not rely on storing past samples. Despite this progress, current prompt-based techniques face several core challenges in CRE, particularly in accurately identifying task identities and mitigating catastrophic forgetting. Existing prompt selection strategies often suffer from inaccuracies, lack robust mechanisms to prevent forgetting in shared parameters, and struggle to handle both cross-task and within-task variations. In this paper, we propose WAVE++, a novel approach inspired by the connection between prefix-tuning and mixture of experts. Specifically, we introduce task-specific prompt pools that enhance flexibility and adaptability across diverse tasks while avoiding boundary-spanning risks; this design more effectively captures both within-task and cross-task variations. To further refine relation classification, we incorporate label descriptions that provide richer, more global context, enabling the model to better distinguish among different relations. We also propose a training-free mechanism to improve task prediction during inference. Moreover, we integrate a generative model to consolidate prior knowledge within the shared parameters, thereby removing the need for explicit data storage. Extensive experiments demonstrate that WAVE++ outperforms state-of-the-art prompt-based and rehearsal-based methods, offering a more robust solution for continual relation extraction. Our code is publicly available at https://github.com/PiDinosauR2804/WAVE-CRE-PLUS-PLUS.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2505_13944
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle WAVE++: Capturing Within-Task Variance for Continual Relation Extraction with Adaptive Prompting
Dao, Bao-Ngoc
Le, Minh
Nguyen, Quang
Dinh, Luyen Ngo
Le, Nam
Van, Linh Ngo
Computation and Language
Memory-based approaches have shown strong performance in Continual Relation Extraction (CRE). However, storing examples from previous tasks increases memory usage and raises privacy concerns. Recently, prompt-based methods have emerged as a promising alternative, as they do not rely on storing past samples. Despite this progress, current prompt-based techniques face several core challenges in CRE, particularly in accurately identifying task identities and mitigating catastrophic forgetting. Existing prompt selection strategies often suffer from inaccuracies, lack robust mechanisms to prevent forgetting in shared parameters, and struggle to handle both cross-task and within-task variations. In this paper, we propose WAVE++, a novel approach inspired by the connection between prefix-tuning and mixture of experts. Specifically, we introduce task-specific prompt pools that enhance flexibility and adaptability across diverse tasks while avoiding boundary-spanning risks; this design more effectively captures both within-task and cross-task variations. To further refine relation classification, we incorporate label descriptions that provide richer, more global context, enabling the model to better distinguish among different relations. We also propose a training-free mechanism to improve task prediction during inference. Moreover, we integrate a generative model to consolidate prior knowledge within the shared parameters, thereby removing the need for explicit data storage. Extensive experiments demonstrate that WAVE++ outperforms state-of-the-art prompt-based and rehearsal-based methods, offering a more robust solution for continual relation extraction. Our code is publicly available at https://github.com/PiDinosauR2804/WAVE-CRE-PLUS-PLUS.
title WAVE++: Capturing Within-Task Variance for Continual Relation Extraction with Adaptive Prompting
topic Computation and Language
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.13944