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Equation 3 · Part 2 · Shrink It, Train It Small, or Search for It: The Main Strategies for Small Models, Compared

subscript

zsz_s
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

where ztz_t and zsz_s are the teacher’s and student’s output logits, σ\sigma a softmax, T a temperature that softens the distribution, and y the ground-truth label. The second term is the entire point of the method: it transfers the relative probability the teacher assigns to every wrong answer, not just which answer was right, a far richer training signal per example than a raw label alone provides. That is the rationale, stated plainly by the paper that introduced it.

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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.

Open the illustrated subscripts: which member of a family? guide →

Sources cited in the article section

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