arXiv:2609.36230v1 Announce Type: new
Abstract: We study the dynamical behavior of tokens in transformers from a control-theoretic perspective. Our model includes the feed-forward layer present after...
By Thomas Jacob Maranzatto, Semih Akkoc, Sennur Ulukus
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:2609.28448v1 Announce Type: cross
Abstract: We study the nonequilibrium dynamics of a minimal recurrent transformer with $N$ normalized tokens, $Q=K=I$, and a negative value map $V=-I$. Similar...
By Qucheng Gao, Zuyi Yang, Xiao Chen
arXiv:2602. 19143v2 Announce Type: replace Abstract: This paper studies simple transformers trained on a high-order Markov chain, where the model must incorporate information from multiple past positions, each with different statistical importance.
By O\u{g}uz Kaan Y\"uksel, Rodrigo Alvarez Lucendo, Nicolas Flammarion
arXiv:2512. 21113v2 Announce Type: replace Abstract: Transformers are increasingly adopted for modeling and forecasting time-series, yet their internal mechanisms remain poorly understood from a dynamical systems perspective.
By Gregory Duth\'e, Nikolaos Evangelou, Wei Liu, Ioannis G. Kevrekidis, Eleni Chatzi
arXiv:2606. 24396v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Large Transformer models function as Dense Associative Memories (DAMs), retrieving knowledge via high-dimensional attractor dynamics driven by the self-attention mechanism \citep{ramsauer2020hopfield, wu2024attention}.
By Kanishk Awadhiya