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Equation 5 · Part 4 · Dense, Sparse, and Distilled: Comparing Approaches to Frontier Model Capacity

subscript

Na=NN_a = N
subscript

What this part means

The lower label selects a particular version, component, or indexed member of the quantity. For example, x₀ and xₜ can be values at different positions.

Its job in the formula

A subscript distinguishes a version, component, step, or member of a quantity. It does not automatically mean multiplication.

The passage around this formula

Fix the vocabulary first. Let N be total parameters, NaN_a the parameters actually used to process a given token, D training tokens, and M the memory that must be resident to serve. For the dense decoder-only transformer that remains the default architecture [ 1 ] , NaN_a = N and M ∝\propto N . Every method below breaks one of those two identities, and which one it breaks determines what it is good for.

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Learn the underlying idea

A subscript is a label attached below a symbol. It often selects a time step, component, category, or member of a sequence.

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Sources cited in the surrounding passage

These citations provide research context; check each source for the exact claim it supports.