The Identifiability and Observability of Deep Normalized Attention
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Abstract (arXiv)
We study which parameters of deep, unmasked, single-head attention are determined by its input--output function. For known positive nonconstant real-analytic normalizers, the function generically determines the effective scores and combined value map up to the signs induced by even normalizers. This proves the real-analytic case of a conjecture of Henry--Marchetti--Kohn, including softmax. We then classify exceptional fibers under explicit normalizer conditions, identifying when collapse makes later scores unobservable, and establish sharp Taylor orders for local identification. Near simultaneous query/key collapse, we compute the complete native Jacobian decay spectrum on separating finite input banks. For common first nonconstant normalizer degree k, layer i has contact order 2k3i-1-1, with exact multiplicities and kernel dimension. High-precision and automatic differentiation calculations illustrate the resulting loss of numerical sensitivity.
Key facts. No citing papers in the map yet (data through 7 Oct 2026). Builds on 9 of its 26 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 7 Oct 2026.
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References · 9
- 2017Attention Is All You Needcited by 59,932
- 2019On Identifiability in Transformerscited by 115
- 2019On the Expressive Power of Deep Polynomial Neural Networkscited by 65
- 2025Everything, Everywhere, All at Once: Is Mechanistic Interpretability Identifiable?cited by 32
- 2022Functional dimension of feedforward ReLU neural networkscited by 20
- 2020Affine symmetries and neural network identifiabilitycited by 17
- 2024Geometry of fibers of the multiplication map of deep linear neural networkscited by 4
- 2026Provably Learning Multi-Head Attention with Queriescited by 2
- 2026Algebraic Invariants of Lightning Self-Attentioncited by 1
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