Equation 11 · Part 10 · OpenAI Model Systems from First Principles: Weights, Post-Training, and Inference Compute
superscript
superscript
What this part means
A raised number can be a power. When it is a label or bound, it selects a case or the upper limit of a sum; the formula’s structure distinguishes these uses.
Its job in the formula
A raised mark can be a power or an index. Its position and the surrounding notation determine which.
Full expression→superscript→Article meaning
The passage around this formula
with N parameters and D training tokens, the factor of six counting the forward and backward passes. Empirically, test loss falls as a power law in each of parameters, data, and compute over many orders of magnitude, a relationship first characterised systematically by Kaplan and colleagues [ 5 ] . The important structural feature is the functional form: a term of the shape . has an irreducible floor and diminishing returns above it. Doubling N buys a fixed decrement in loss, not a fixed multiple of capability.
Learn the underlying idea
An exponent tells how a base is used in multiplication. In x³, x is the base and 3 is the exponent: x³ = x × x × x.
Open the illustrated exponents: repeated multiplication and powers guide →
Sources cited in the surrounding passage
These citations provide research context; check each source for the exact claim it supports.