# Singularity Formation: Synergy in Theoretical, Numerical and Machine Learning Approaches

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.16842 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.16842/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 66 of its 418 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 18 Apr 2026.

## Builds on (most cited first, 30 of 66)

- [Scaling Laws for Neural Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2001.08361/) (2020)
- [Fourier Neural Operator for Parametric Partial Differential Equations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2010.08895/) (2020)
- [Sparse Autoencoders Find Highly Interpretable Features in Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.08600/) (2023)
- [Toy Models of Superposition](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2209.10652/) (2022)
- [In-context Learning and Induction Heads](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2209.11895/) (2022)
- [Deep Learning Scaling is Predictable, Empirically](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1712.00409/) (2017)
- [Scaling Laws for Autoregressive Generative Modeling](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2010.14701/) (2020)
- [Frequency Principle: Fourier Analysis Sheds Light on Deep Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1901.06523/) (2019)
- [Explaining Neural Scaling Laws](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2102.06701/) (2021)
- [A Conceptual Introduction to Hamiltonian Monte Carlo](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1701.02434/) (2017)
- [U-KAN Makes Strong Backbone for Medical Image Segmentation and Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.02918/) (2024)
- [Searching for Activation Functions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1710.05941/) (2017)
- [Kolmogorov-Arnold Networks are Radial Basis Function Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.06721/) (2024)
- [Wav-KAN: Wavelet Kolmogorov-Arnold Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.12832/) (2024)
- [Chebyshev Polynomial-Based Kolmogorov-Arnold Networks: An Efficient Architecture for Nonlinear Function Approximation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.07200/) (2024)
- [Challenges in Training PINNs: A Loss Landscape Perspective](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.01868/) (2024)
- [Extrapolation and learning equations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1610.02995/) (2016)
- [A comprehensive and FAIR comparison between MLP and KAN representations for differential equations and operator networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.02917/) (2024)
- [Kolmogorov-Arnold Networks (KANs) for Time Series Analysis](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.08790/) (2024)
- [DeepOKAN: Deep Operator Network Based on Kolmogorov Arnold Networks for Mechanics Problems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.19143/) (2024)
- [Convolutional Kolmogorov-Arnold Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.13155/) (2024)
- [TKAN: Temporal Kolmogorov-Arnold Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.07344/) (2024)
- [Kolmogorov-Arnold Networks for Time Series: Bridging Predictive Power and Interpretability](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.02496/) (2024)
- [Kolmogorov Arnold Informed neural network: A physics-informed deep learning framework for solving forward and inverse problems based on Kolmogorov Arnold Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.11045/) (2024)
- [fKAN: Fractional Kolmogorov-Arnold Networks with trainable Jacobi basis functions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.07456/) (2024)
- [Gradient Alignment in Physics-informed Neural Networks: A Second-Order Optimization Perspective](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.00604/) (2025)
- [Interpretable Machine Learning for Science with PySR and SymbolicRegression.jl](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.01582/) (2023)
- [GKAN: Graph Kolmogorov-Arnold Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.06470/) (2024)
- [A Neural Scaling Law from the Dimension of the Data Manifold](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2004.10802/) (2020)
- [A Temporal Kolmogorov-Arnold Transformer for Time Series Forecasting](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.02486/) (2024)

## Abstract (arXiv)

This thesis develops numerical and theoretical approaches for understanding and analyzing singularity formation in Partial Differential Equations (PDEs). The singularity formation in the Navier-Stokes Equation (NSE) is famously challenging as one of the seven Clay Prize problems. Unlike simpler equations such as the Nonlinear Heat (NLH) or Keller-Segel (KS) equations, where formal asymptotics near blowup are better understood, the intrinsic complexity of NSE makes quantitative analytical treatment difficult, if not impossible, without numerical guidance. Building on numerical insights, we introduce a robust analytical framework to simplify and systematize pen-and-paper proofs for simpler singular PDEs. We present a novel approach based on enforcing vanishing modulation conditions for perturbations around approximate blowup profiles, complemented by singularly weighted energy estimates. We demonstrate the efficacy of our method on PDEs with complicated asymptotics, such as NLH and the Complex Ginzburg-Landau (CGL) equation, and address the open problem of singularity formation in the 3D KS equation with logistic damping. We develop and refine numerical approaches that facilitate deeper insights into singularity formation. We demonstrate that machine learning methods significantly enhance our capability to identify and characterize potential blowup solutions with high precision. We improve on existing Physics-Informed Neural Network (PINN) and Neural Operator (NO) frameworks. Moreover, we present a novel machine learning paradigm, the Kolmogorov-Arnold Network (KAN) architecture, whose interpretability and excellent scaling properties are achieved through learnable nonlinearities.
