Equation 3 · Part 7 · Ten Ways Mechanistic Interpretability Research Can Mislead You
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
Put simply: if a search evaluates k candidate directions against a validation check, and each candidate independently has a small probability of appearing to pass that check purely by chance — because it happens to correlate with the labeled examples used to test it — then the probability that the search turns up at least one apparent “finding” is . a quantity that climbs toward near-certainty long before k reaches even a small fraction of the directions a real residual stream offers. A single successful-looking direction, reported without the number of candidates it was selected from, is close to uninterpretable on its own.
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 article section
These citations provide research context; check each source for the exact claim it supports.