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  3. /Positional Encoding
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Positional Encoding

Information added to token embeddings to tell a transformer the order of elements in a sequence.

Definition

Information added to token embeddings to tell a transformer the order of elements in a sequence. Since attention treats all positions equally, without positional encoding the model couldn't distinguish 'dog bites man' from 'man bites dog.' Various methods exist: sinusoidal, learned, rotary (RoPE), and ALiBi.

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Related Terms

Transformer

The neural network architecture behind virtually all modern AI language models.

Embedding

A dense numerical representation of data (words, images, etc.

RoPE

Rotary Position Embedding.

Activation Function

A mathematical function applied to a neuron's output that introduces non-linearity into the network.

Adam Optimizer

An optimization algorithm that combines the best parts of two other methods — AdaGrad and RMSProp.

AGI

Artificial General Intelligence.

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