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Equation 25 · Probing, Sparse Autoencoders, Patching, and Steering: The Main Interpretability Methods, Compared

What does this equation mean?

vℓ=1∣P∣∑i∈Phℓ(xi+)  −  1∣N∣∑i∈Nhℓ(xi−),hℓ←hℓ+α vℓ,v_\ell = \frac{1}{|P|}\sum_{i \in P} h_\ell(x_i^{+}) \;-\; \frac{1}{|N|}\sum_{i \in N} h_\ell(x_i^{-}), \qquad h_\ell \leftarrow h_\ell + \alpha\, v_\ell,

Read the formula alongside the article passage below. Each part has a deeper page with its role in the equation, the supporting passage and nearby citations.

Start with1
Divide by|P|
This relates tov_ell
How to read the two sides of this formula. Follow the article passage for the meaning of each quantity.

This equation states an equality: the expressions on both sides have the same value under the article’s assumptions. Read the equation part by part below; each part has a contextual explanation and a link to its mathematical background.

Read it piece by piece

vℓv_\ell

Symbol v_ell

vev_ell is part of the quantity the equation computes from the expression on the right.

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PP

Symbol P

P occurs below the fraction bar. The quantity above the bar is divided by this expression; zero is excluded as a denominator.

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ii

Symbol i

i appears in the bound of this sum. The bound states where the repeated operation starts, ends, or which values it includes.

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hℓh_\ell

Symbol h_ell

the residual-stream activation at layer ℓ\ell.

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xi+x_i^{+}

Symbol x_i^+

xi+x_i^+ is one of the signed contributions combined to compute the quantity on the left.

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NN

Symbol N

N occurs below the fraction bar. The quantity above the bar is divided by this expression; zero is excluded as a denominator.

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xi−x_i^{-}

Symbol x_i^-

xi−x_i^- is one of the signed contributions combined to compute the quantity on the left.

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α\alpha

Symbol α

a coefficient the operator sets by hand.

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=

=

The expressions on both sides represent the same quantity under the stated assumptions.

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fraction

fraction

Divide the expression above the line by the one below it.

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addition

addition

Add the term after the plus sign to the term or group before it.

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subscript

subscript

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.

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superscript

superscript

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.

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11

Numerator: 1

The complete quantity above the fraction bar.

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∣P∣|P|

Denominator: |P|

The complete quantity below the fraction bar; it must be nonzero for this division.

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i∈Pi \in P

Starting index or lower bound: i in P

This label says where the repeated addition, multiplication, or accumulation starts. Read its value or condition together with the article’s description of the index.

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11

Numerator: 1

The complete quantity above the fraction bar.

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∣N∣|N|

Denominator: |N|

The complete quantity below the fraction bar; it must be nonzero for this division.

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i∈Ni \in N

Starting index or lower bound: i in N

This label says where the repeated addition, multiplication, or accumulation starts. Read its value or condition together with the article’s description of the index.

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How to interpret it

With a fixed numerator, increasing a nonzero denominator reduces the fraction. Read it with the definitions, units, and assumptions supplied by the article.

What the article says around this equation

The construction is a mean-difference direction, added back into the residual stream with a tunable strength at inference time: vℓ=1∣P∣∑i∈Phℓ(xi+)  −  1∣N∣∑i∈Nhℓ(xi−),hℓ←hℓ+α vℓv_\ell = \frac{1}{|P|}\sum_{i \in P} h_\ell(x_i^{+}) \;-\; \frac{1}{|N|}\sum_{i \in N} h_\ell(x_i^{-}), \qquad h_\ell \leftarrow h_\ell + \alpha\, v_\ell. where P and N index matched positive and negative examples of the target behaviour, hℓh_\ell is the residual-stream activation at layer ℓ\ell , and α\alpha is a coefficient the operator sets by hand. Nothing in this construction requires understanding why the network represents the concept along this direction, only that adding it produces the intended behavioural shift.

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Sources cited in the article section

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