Equation 2 · Part 1 · How Claude Code's Memory Actually Persists Across Sessions
Symbol M_i
What this part means
the token count of the i -th memory file discovered along the walk from the filesystem root to the working directory, summed over however many, k , are found.
Its job in the formula
is a part of this expression. Its role is fixed by the surrounding article and by the operations shown in the formula.
Full expression→Symbol M_i→Article meaning
Where the article explains it
where is the token count of the i -th memory file discovered along the walk from the filesystem root to the working directory, summed over however many, k , are found.
The passage around this formula
where is the token count of the i -th memory file discovered along the walk from the filesystem root to the working directory, summed over however many, k , are found. Every term is committed before the developer types a word. The point is not the specific numbers; it is that is arithmetic settled at launch, and every additional CLAUDE.md file anyone commits to a repository is a term someone chose to add to it, permanently, for the rest of that session.
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.
Open the illustrated subscripts: which member of a family? guide →
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Sources cited in the article section
These citations provide research context; check each source for the exact claim it supports.