scienceFeb 12, 202512:26pending
Clockwork Math: How LLMs Add with Helices and Clocks
About this episode
A deep dive into a surprising mechanism behind AI math: LLMs represent numbers as helices on a cylinder and add by rotating these helices. We’ll unpack the clock algorithm, how attention heads and MLPs choreograph the calculation, what activation patching reveals, and the implications for math reasoning, reliability, and future AI design.
Note: This podcast was AI-generated, and sometimes AI can make mistakes. Please double-check any critical information.
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