Equation 1 · Part 2 · The Economics, Energy, and Physical Limits of Claude Code and Agentic Development Tools
Symbol p_in
What this part means
n is one of the signed contributions combined to compute the quantity on the left.
Its job in the formula
n is one of the signed contributions combined to compute the quantity on the left.
Full expression→Symbol p_in→Article meaning
The passage around this formula
Two structural consequences follow directly from that documented pricing, and they are analysis, not disclosure, since Anthropic states the multipliers but does not publish this derivation. Model a session as a sequence of turns. At turn i, the agent resends the accumulated transcript, c sub i-minus-one, as a cache read; adds a batch of new tokens, delta sub i, as a cache write, from a tool result or a newly opened file; and produces o sub i output tokens. Writing p-in and p-out for the base input and output prices, the billed cost of that turn is . Summed across an N-turn session, the accumulated-context term is a triangular sum that grows in proportion to the square of…
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 →
See this notation across published equations →
Sources cited in the surrounding passage
These citations provide research context; check each source for the exact claim it supports.