One-layer transformers fail to solve the induction heads task
arXiv:2408.14332v132 citationsh-index: 26
Originality Incremental advance
AI Analysis
This addresses a theoretical limitation in transformer architectures for researchers in machine learning and AI, showing an incremental insight into model design.
The paper tackled the problem of whether one-layer transformers can solve the induction heads task, proving that they cannot without exponentially larger size compared to two-layer transformers.
A simple communication complexity argument proves that no one-layer transformer can solve the induction heads task unless its size is exponentially larger than the size sufficient for a two-layer transformer.