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Transformers as Multi-Task Learners: Decoupling Features in Hidden Markov Models (arxiv.org)
2 points by badmonster on Jun 3, 2025 | hide | past | pdf | 1 comment on HN

In plain words: Watching a Transformer handle hidden Markov sequences—chains where each state emits a token—the study finds early layers gather nearby-token clues while later layers separate features across time. Proof shows this split lets one network handle many tasks instead of one per task.

Abstract · Transformers as Multi-task Learners: Decoupling Features in Hidden Markov Models

Transformer based models have shown remarkable capabilities in sequence learning across a wide range of tasks, often performing well on specific task by leveraging input-output examples. Despite their empirical success, a comprehensive theoretical understanding of this phenomenon remains limited. In this work, we investigate the layerwise behavior of Transformers to uncover the mechanisms underlying their multi-task generalization ability. Taking explorations on a typical sequence model, i.e, Hidden Markov Models, which are fundamental to many language tasks, we observe that: first, lower layers of Transformers focus on extracting feature representations, primarily influenced by neighboring tokens; second, on the upper layers, features become decoupled, exhibiting a high degree of time disentanglement. Building on these empirical insights, we provide theoretical analysis for the expressiveness power of Transformers. Our explicit constructions align closely with empirical observations, providing theoretical support for the Transformer's effectiveness and efficiency on sequence learning across diverse tasks.

Yifan Hao, Chenlu Ye, Chi Han, Tong Zhang
arXiv:2506.01919 · cs.LG, cs.AI · submitted Jun 2, 2025
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interesting paper. essentially a peek under the hood of why transformers generalize so well across multiple tasks, through the lens of hidden markov models.