mlsanityData to 14 Oct 2026

A Free Probabilistic Framework for Analyzing the Transformer-based Language Models

arXiv 2506.16550 ↗First posted 19 Jun 2025cs.LG stat.MLcited by 1

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Abstract (arXiv)

We present a formal operator-theoretic framework for analyzing Transformer-based language models using free probability theory. By modeling token embeddings and attention mechanisms as self-adjoint operators in a tracial ( W^* )-probability space, we reinterpret attention as non-commutative convolution and describe representation propagation via free additive convolution. This leads to a spectral dynamic system interpretation of deep Transformers. We derive entropy-based generalization bounds under freeness assumptions and provide insight into positional encoding, spectral evolution, and representational complexity. This work offers a principled, though theoretical, perspective on structural dynamics in large language models.

Key facts. Cited by 1 paper in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026). Builds on 13 of its 29 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 19 Jun 2025.

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13 of 29 references.

References · 13

  1. 2017Attention Is All You Needcited by 60,361
  2. 2017Computing Nonvacuous Generalization Bounds for Deep (Stochastic) Neural Networks with Many More Parameters than Training Datacited by 533
  3. 2023Large Language Models Are Zero-Shot Time Series Forecasterscited by 500
  4. 2019Deep Evidential Regressioncited by 355
  5. 2024A Primer on the Inner Workings of Transformer-based Language Modelscited by 85
  6. 2020Bayesian Attention Modulescited by 51
  7. 2020Language Through a Prism: A Spectral Approach for Multiscale Language Representationscited by 39
  8. 2024Detecting Subtle Differences between Human and Model Languages Using Spectrum of Relative Likelihoodcited by 24
  9. 2020Probabilistic Predictions of People Perusing: Evaluating Metrics of Language Model Performance for Psycholinguistic Modelingcited by 22
  10. 2024Fourier Head: Helping Large Language Models Learn Complex Probability Distributionscited by 10
  11. 2024Uncertainty-Aware Out-of-Distribution Detection with Gaussian Processescited by 6
  12. 2023Probabilistic Transformer: A Probabilistic Dependency Model for Contextual Word Representationcited by 4
1 more
  1. 2021Free Probability for predicting the performance of feed-forward fully connected neural networkscited by 3

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