English

Comparison of different Unique hard attention transformer models by the formal languages they can recognize

Machine Learning 2025-06-05 v1 Computation and Language Formal Languages and Automata Theory

Abstract

This note is a survey of various results on the capabilities of unique hard attention transformers encoders (UHATs) to recognize formal languages. We distinguish between masked vs. non-masked, finite vs. infinite image and general vs. bilinear attention score functions. We recall some relations between these models, as well as a lower bound in terms of first-order logic and an upper bound in terms of circuit complexity.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2506.03370,
  title  = {Comparison of different Unique hard attention transformer models by the formal languages they can recognize},
  author = {Leonid Ryvkin},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2506.03370},
  year   = {2025}
}