arXiv Machine Learning By Liu Ziyin, Yizhou Xu, Tomaso Poggio, Isaac Chuang

Neural Quadratic Forms: A Unified Minimal Model for Sudden Learning and Scaling Laws

Read the original on arXiv Machine Learning →

arXiv:2608. 13335v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Neural networks trained by gradient descent on a smooth cost function can nevertheless learn in steps: the cost holds on long plateaus and then drops abruptly.

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arXiv Machine Learning
Sep 4

High-Dimensional Learning Dynamics of Attention-Indexed Models

The paper investigates the training dynamics of attention mechanisms in high-dimensional settings, focusing on attention-indexed models that encompass multi-layer and multi-head architectures. It shows that while the loss landscape can be described by a finite set of trace order parameters, the online stochastic gradient descent dynamics involve an infinite hierarchy of matrix moments that can be accurately approximated by a finite truncated system. The study further reveals that the choice of attention parameterization acts as an implicit bias: untied attention can get trapped in uninformative states, whereas tied attention induces symmetry breaking and enables weak recovery with θ(d² log d) samples, and untied attention exhibits a fast-slow dynamic leading to weak recovery when symmetry is broken.

By Yizhou Xu, Margarita Sagitova, Lenka Zdeborov\'a, Florent Krzakala
arXiv Machine Learning
Sep 11

Quantifying the Memorization-to-Generalization Transition: Scaling Laws and Phase Structure in Grokking

The study investigates the delayed transition from memorization to generalization—known as grokking—in two‑hidden‑layer MLPs trained on modular arithmetic. By exploring 384 hyperparameter configurations, the authors derive a power‑law scaling relation for the onset time of generalization, showing that data complexity dominates over model capacity. A clear phase boundary at weight decay around 1.0 separates grokking from non‑grokking regimes, and weight norm trajectories indicate implicit regularization during the transition.

By Anish Kataria